Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.

<h4>Background</h4>Hip fractures are highly prevalent in the elderly, with intertrochanteric (IT) fractures of the femur constituting about half of the fractures in this region. We aimed to evaluate the levels of serum calcium and vitamin D in patients with stable or unstable IT fracture...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kamran Alijanpour, Sina Afzal, Abolhasan Alijanpour, Hasan Barati, Hemmat Gholinia, Mehdi Tavassoli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313023
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846150956565135360
author Kamran Alijanpour
Sina Afzal
Abolhasan Alijanpour
Hasan Barati
Hemmat Gholinia
Mehdi Tavassoli
author_facet Kamran Alijanpour
Sina Afzal
Abolhasan Alijanpour
Hasan Barati
Hemmat Gholinia
Mehdi Tavassoli
author_sort Kamran Alijanpour
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Hip fractures are highly prevalent in the elderly, with intertrochanteric (IT) fractures of the femur constituting about half of the fractures in this region. We aimed to evaluate the levels of serum calcium and vitamin D in patients with stable or unstable IT fractures to study their contribution to the severity of IT fracture.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Using a prospective cross-sectional design, we enrolled patients with IT fractures admitted to two referral orthopedic centers in 2022. Unstable IT fracture was defined as those with reverse obliquity or a trans-trochanteric pattern of fracture, a large or comminuted posteromedial fragment, and subtrochanteric extension of the fracture. Serum 25 (OH) vitamin D and calcium levels were the main study variables assessed by lab tests and compared among the two study groups: stable and unstable IT fractures.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 286 patients with a mean age of 70.5 ± 7.3 years and a female predominance (60.4%) were included in the final analysis. Among the patients, 139 (48.6%) had stable IT fractures, and 147 (51.4%) had unstable IT fractures. The mean serum level of vitamin D was significantly higher in the stable group (30.3 ± 7.0) compared to the unstable group (26.5 ± 6.1) (P-value = 0.007). Increasing age was associated with a decreasing level of serum vitamin D; however, the association was weak and not statistically significant (P-value = 0.319). The mean serum calcium level was higher among stable cases (8.6 ± 0.7) compared to unstable cases (8.4 ± 0.9); however, the difference was not statistically significant (P-value = 0.540). Vitamin D and calcium levels were almost similar among males and females.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Lower levels of serum vitamin D were significantly associated with unstable IT fractures, and supplementation with this element might prevent severe fractures of this type and other fragility hip fractures.
format Article
id doaj-art-5086941c907741a6bfa9826f2f53cb8b
institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-5086941c907741a6bfa9826f2f53cb8b2024-11-28T05:31:12ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-011911e031302310.1371/journal.pone.0313023Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.Kamran AlijanpourSina AfzalAbolhasan AlijanpourHasan BaratiHemmat GholiniaMehdi Tavassoli<h4>Background</h4>Hip fractures are highly prevalent in the elderly, with intertrochanteric (IT) fractures of the femur constituting about half of the fractures in this region. We aimed to evaluate the levels of serum calcium and vitamin D in patients with stable or unstable IT fractures to study their contribution to the severity of IT fracture.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Using a prospective cross-sectional design, we enrolled patients with IT fractures admitted to two referral orthopedic centers in 2022. Unstable IT fracture was defined as those with reverse obliquity or a trans-trochanteric pattern of fracture, a large or comminuted posteromedial fragment, and subtrochanteric extension of the fracture. Serum 25 (OH) vitamin D and calcium levels were the main study variables assessed by lab tests and compared among the two study groups: stable and unstable IT fractures.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 286 patients with a mean age of 70.5 ± 7.3 years and a female predominance (60.4%) were included in the final analysis. Among the patients, 139 (48.6%) had stable IT fractures, and 147 (51.4%) had unstable IT fractures. The mean serum level of vitamin D was significantly higher in the stable group (30.3 ± 7.0) compared to the unstable group (26.5 ± 6.1) (P-value = 0.007). Increasing age was associated with a decreasing level of serum vitamin D; however, the association was weak and not statistically significant (P-value = 0.319). The mean serum calcium level was higher among stable cases (8.6 ± 0.7) compared to unstable cases (8.4 ± 0.9); however, the difference was not statistically significant (P-value = 0.540). Vitamin D and calcium levels were almost similar among males and females.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Lower levels of serum vitamin D were significantly associated with unstable IT fractures, and supplementation with this element might prevent severe fractures of this type and other fragility hip fractures.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313023
spellingShingle Kamran Alijanpour
Sina Afzal
Abolhasan Alijanpour
Hasan Barati
Hemmat Gholinia
Mehdi Tavassoli
Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.
PLoS ONE
title Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.
title_full Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.
title_fullStr Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.
title_short Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study.
title_sort analysis of serum vitamin d and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures a multi center prospective study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313023
work_keys_str_mv AT kamranalijanpour analysisofserumvitamindandcalciumlevelsinelderlypatientswithstableandunstableintertrochantericfracturesamulticenterprospectivestudy
AT sinaafzal analysisofserumvitamindandcalciumlevelsinelderlypatientswithstableandunstableintertrochantericfracturesamulticenterprospectivestudy
AT abolhasanalijanpour analysisofserumvitamindandcalciumlevelsinelderlypatientswithstableandunstableintertrochantericfracturesamulticenterprospectivestudy
AT hasanbarati analysisofserumvitamindandcalciumlevelsinelderlypatientswithstableandunstableintertrochantericfracturesamulticenterprospectivestudy
AT hemmatgholinia analysisofserumvitamindandcalciumlevelsinelderlypatientswithstableandunstableintertrochantericfracturesamulticenterprospectivestudy
AT mehditavassoli analysisofserumvitamindandcalciumlevelsinelderlypatientswithstableandunstableintertrochantericfracturesamulticenterprospectivestudy