Vitamin D Deficiency in North Indian Orthopaedic Patientspresenting with Non Specific Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

Abstract

Purpose- Vitamin D deficiency may present with unexplained musculoskeletal pain and weakness before developing frank symptoms of osteomalacia. The aim of our study is to find the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients presenting with chronic non specific musculoskeletal pain not attributable to any other condition to the orthopaedic outpatient department.

Material & Methods:- The study was conducted at a tertiary level medical college facility in northern India in the orthopaedic department between January 2019 and June 2020. All the patients presenting in the orthopaedic outpatient department between 10 years to 80 years of age with unexplained chronic musculoskeletal pain and general fatigability were included in the study. Vitamin D levels, Serum Calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were done for all the patients.

Results:- The total no of patients in our study were 604 patients out of which 250 were males (41.4%) and 354 females (58.6%). Median value of vitamin D in our study was 11 ng/ml and median age of our patients was 28 years. The  vitamin D deficiency was seen in 83.4% cases and insufficiency in 8.3% cases . Most of the subjects having vit D deficiency were in the age group of 21-40 years (83.46%) which was stastically significant and higher than other age groups (p<0.05). There was no stastically significant difference with regard to sex and BMI in any other patient group.

Conclusion:-.  Based on our study we would recommend screening and treatment for vitamin D deficiency for all patients presenting with chronic generalized nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. Dietary counseling, fortification of foods and exposure to sunshine should be encouraged to eliminate this problem.