The effect of vitamin d insufficiency on knee osteoarthritis

ABSTRACT THE EFFECT OF VITAMIN D INSUFFICIENCY ON KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of vitamin D insufficiency on progression of the knee osteoarthritis and the functional status of the patients. 100 patients with knee osteoarthritis according to American Collage of Rhematology criteria enrolled in this study. All patients knee radiographs were taken and osteoarthritis was defined as the presence of at least one knee with a Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1,2 or 3. Pain, physical function and life quality was asssessed with visual analog scale (VAS), Nottingham health profile (NHP), The Western Ontario and Mcmaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Lequesne knee osteoarthritis index. Complete blood count, sedimentation rate, CRP, RF, ALT, AST, ALP, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphore, parathormone, TSH ve vitamin D levels were determined by routine laboratory methods. Patients divided in two groups according to vitamin D levels. There was no significant difference with respect to the age, disease duration, gender and osteoporosis (respectively p=0.793, p=0.092, p=0.250, p=0.835). There was no significant difference with respect to the radiologic progression (p=0.257). NHP physical function, pain, fatique, social isolation and emotional reactions subtitle values and all WOMAC and Lequesne knee index subtitle valus were significantly higher in patients with vitamin D insufficiency (p < 0.05). This study shows that vitamin D insufficiency increases the severity of pain and reduces the function and the life quality in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Long term studies to evaluate the structural damage are needed. Key words: Osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, vitamin D insufficiency