Vitamin D is essential for optimal bone health and muscle
function. An alarmingly high rate of vitamin-D deficiency in the
general population has been reported recently. The purpose of
the present study was to characterize the extent of low serum
levels of vitamin D among orthopaedic surgery patients.Methods:
We performed a retrospective chart review of 723 patients who
were scheduled for orthopaedic surgery between January 2007 and
March 2008. Preoperative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D)
levels were measured. The prevalence of normal (=32 ng/mL),
insufficient (<32 ng/mL), and deficient (<20 ng/mL) vitamin-D
levels was determined. Logistic regression was used to assess
risk factors for insufficient (<32 ng/mL) 25(OH)D
levels.Results: Overall, 43% of all patients had insufficient
serum vitamin-D levels, and, of these, 40% had deficient levels.
Among the orthopaedic services, the highest rates of low serum
vitamin-D levels were seen in the trauma and sports services, in
which the rates of abnormal (insuffic