Vitamin D Status and Fracture Healing in Patients with Long Bone Nonunion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22326946Keywords:
Vitamin D, Fracture healing, Nonunion, Long bone, Bone metabolismAbstract
Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in orthopaedic populations and has been proposed as a modifiable contributor to
impaired fracture healing and long bone nonunion. Objective: To synthesise published evidence on vitamin D status in fracture and nonunion patients, underlying biological mechanisms, and outcomes of vitamin D supplementation. Methods: Narrative review of observational cohorts, systematic reviews, a large fracture-registry study, mechanistic literature, and supplementation trials.
Findings: Deficiency prevalence ranges from roughly 40% in general fracture cohorts to over 80% in nonunion series; a registry
of over 309,000 fractures identified deficiency as an independent nonunion predictor, and lower vitamin D levels correlate with
prolonged healing time. Randomised supplementation data remain limited and inconsistent. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent and biologically plausible as a nonunion risk factor, but high-quality trial evidence for supplementation as definitive treatment is lacking, warranting screening and individualised correction pending further trials.
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