Bone healing not improved by a single bolus dose of 30,000 IU (no surprise) – RCT April 2021

The Effect of Bolus Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Distal Radius Fracture Healing: A Randomized Controlled Trial using HR‐pQCT

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research https://doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.4311
F.L. Heyer J.J.A. de Jong P.C. Willems J.J. Arts S.G.P. Bours S.M.J. van Kuijk J.A.P. Bons M. Poeze P.P. Geusens B. van Rietbergen J.P. van den Bergh

Vitamin D is an important factor in bone metabolism. Animal studies have shown a positive effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on fracture healing, but evidence from clinical trials is inconclusive. A randomized controlled trial was performed to assess the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on fracture healing using high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR‐pQCT) based outcome parameters. Thirty‐two postmenopausal women with a conservatively treated distal radius fracture were included within two weeks post‐fracture and randomized to a low‐dose (N = 10) and a high‐dose (N = 11) vitamin D intervention group receiving a 6‐week bolus dose, equivalent to 700 and 1,800 IU vitamin D3 supplementation per day respectively, in addition to a control group (N = 11) receiving no supplementation. After the baseline visit 1–2 weeks post‐fracture, follow‐up visits were scheduled at 3–4, 6–8 and 12 weeks post‐fracture. At each visit, HR‐pQCT scans of the fractured radius were performed. Cortical and trabecular bone density and microarchitectural parameters and μFEA derived torsion, compression and bending stiffness were assessed. Additionally, serum markers of bone resorption (C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen; CTX) and bone formation (N‐terminal propeptide of type I procollagen; PINP) were measured. Baseline serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were < 50 nmol/L in 33% of all participants and < 75 nmol/L in 70%. Compared to the control group, high‐dose vitamin D3 supplementation resulted in a decreased trabecular number (regression coefficient B: −0.22; p < 0.01) and lower compression stiffness (B: −3.63; p < 0.05, together with an increase in the bone resorption marker CTX (B: 0.062; p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the control and low‐dose intervention group.

In conclusion, the bolus equivalent of 700 U/day vitamin D3 supplementation in a Western postmenopausal population does not improve distal radius fracture healing and an equivalent dose of 1,800 IU/day may be detrimental in restoring bone stiffness during the first 12 weeks of fracture healing.

---

Falls and Fractures category in VitaminDwikicontains the following

• 258 items in FALLS and FRACTURES
• Vitamin D and Calcium cost-effectively reduce falls and fractures – April 2019
• see also Overview Seniors and Vitamin D
  • Overview Fractures and Falls and Vitamin D
  • Overview Fractures and vitamin D
  • Muscles and Vitamin D - many studies

Falls

• Fall prevention - Vitamin D is one of the ways - umbrella review Jan 2024
• Deaths due to falls doubled in just a decade (age-adjusted, perhaps decreased vitamin D) – June 2019
• Preventing Falls in Older Adults – Vitamin D combination is the best - JAMA Meta-analysis Nov 2017
• Falls cut in half by 100,000 IU vitamin D monthly - RCT 2016
• Falls reduced by a third if achieved 40 ng level vitamin D– RCT Sept 2018
  • Note: It took 6 months to get to that level. Most trials last only 3 months
• Vitamin D prevents falls – majority of meta-analyses conclude – meta-meta analysis Feb 2015
• Falls reduced by Vitamin D: 13 percent reduction if more than 700 IU – review of 38 trials – Aug 2022

Left hand column section as of Nov 2024

Fracture

• Hip fractures are predicted by 10 factors – low Vitamin D is the biggest – Aug 2023
• Vitamin D and fractures – 24 meta-analyses and counting – Dec 2014
• Low trauma bone fractures in seniors – considering Vitamin D loading dose for all, without testing – Nov 2019
• Vitamin K (any amount and any kind) reduced bone fractures by 24 percent – meta-analysis – May 2019
• 77+ Hip fracture items in VitaminDWiki title   Click here for details examples:
  • Risk of Hip fracture cut in half if Vitamin D was prescribed - Aug 2023
  • Call to action: Vitamin D to prevent of treat hip fracture (50,000 weekly for 8 weeks, then bi-weekly) – Holick July 2020

Bone - Health category in VitaminDWkii starts with the following

314 items in Bone - Health category
See also

• Overviews: Osteoporosis,  Fractures,  Rickets  Dental   Hair
• 16 articles are in both Bone and Magnesium categories
• 29 articles are in both Bone and Vitamin K2 categories
• 18 articles are in both Bone and Sports categories
• 8 articles are in both Bone and Meta-analysis categories
• 25 articles are in both Fractures and Meta-analysis categories
• Healthy bones need: Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Silicon, Vitamin K, and Boron – 2012
• VitaminDWiki pages with BONE MINERAL DENSITY or BMD in title 25 pages as of Feb 2023
• Hearing loss is associated with soft bones in ear
  • Perhaps prevented and treated by Vitamin D
• See also Overview of Rickets and Vitamin D   Overview Osteoporosis and vitamin D