Current Concepts of Vitamin D and Calcium in the Healing of Fractures

ABSTRACT

Fragile fractures, also known as osteoporosis fractures, insufficiency fractures, and senile fractures are a significant problem encountered by orthopedic surgeons. Calcium and vitamin D are essential for maintaining bone health and deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D are major risk factors for the development of osteoporosis. Sufficient amounts of calcium are also required for fracture-callus mineralization. Hence, compromised bone repair that is frequently observed in osteoporotic patients might be attributed to calcium and vitamin D deficiencies. Consequently, calcium and vitamin D supplementation represents a potential strategy for treating compromised fracture healing in osteoporotic patients.There is some clinical evidence of the positive effect of supplementation in fracture healing and posttraumatic bone turnover, but research in this area is ongoing. Calcium and vitamin D should be the primary treatment of choice in osteopenic patients with an insufficiency of calcium and vitamin D and for the prevention of secondary osteoporotic fractures. Calcium and vitamin D can also be used as addition to other primary osteoporotic medications such as antiresorptive or bone-forming agents. The role of calcium and vitamin D in fracture healing and the therapeutic potential of calcium and vitamin D supplementation is summarized in this context.