A recent study published in journalPeerJsuggests no significant association between serum vitamin D concentration at initial presentation and knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis (OA).
In a cross-sectional study, researchers evaluated serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH)D] levels of 142 patients with primary knee OA. Severity of OA was determined using Kellegren-Lawrence scale (K-L grade, 1-4), while knee pain was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). Vitamin D concentration was defined as classified as deficient (<10 ng/mL), insufficient (10 to 19 ng/mL), or normal (20 to 50 ng/mL).
Of the 142 patients, 77 patients were vitamin D deficient, 51 were insufficient, and 14 patients had normal vitamin D level. The K-L grade was 2 in 10 patients, 3 in 57 patients, and 4 in 85. Mean WOMAC score was 57.2, VAS pain score was 7.5, and mean BMI was 33.4. Mean values of VAS, WOMAC, and BMI did not differ by vitamin D status.
“Our finding indicate that vitamin D concentrations at the first visit of patients with OA of the knee are not associated with knee pain. Low levels of vitamin D may not play a critical role in OA pathogenesis and progression. Further studies are warranted to determine the role of vitamin D in OA pathophysiology and pain perceptions”, the authors commented.
