Calcified tissue international
-
Calcif. Tissue Int. · Sep 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effect of calcium and vitamin D3 supplementation on the healing of the proximal humerus fracture: a randomized placebo-controlled study.
The purpose of this study was to (1) quantify the healing process of the human osteoporotic proximal humerus fracture (PHF) expressed in terms of callus formation over the fracture region using BMD scanning, and (2) quantify the impact of medical intervention with vitamin D3 and calcium on the healing process of the human osteoporotic fracture. The conservatively treated PHF was chosen in order to follow the genuine fracture healing without influence of osteosynthetic materials or casts. Thirty women (mean age = 78 years; range = 58-88) with a PHF, osteoporosis or osteopenia (based on a hip scan, WHO criteria), and not taking any drugs related to bone formation, including calcium or vitamin D supplementation, were randomly assigned to either oral 800 IU vitamin D3 plus 1 g calcium or placebo, in a double-blind prospective study. ⋯ Thirty seven percent of the patients presented with vitamin D levels below 30 nmol/l, indicative of mild vitamin D insufficiency. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that it is possible to quantify callus formation of the PHF with sufficiently high precision to demonstrate the positive influence of vitamin D3 and calcium over the first 6 weeks after fracture. Whether this results in more stable fractures, extends to other fracture types, or applies to other osteogenic bone agents such as bisphosphonates remains to be examined.