Children (May 2022)

Vitamin D and Forearm Fractures in Children Preliminary Findings: Risk Factors and Correlation between Low-Energy and High-Energy Fractures

  • Sinisa Ducic,
  • Filip Milanovic,
  • Mikan Lazovic,
  • Bojan Bukva,
  • Goran Djuricic,
  • Vladimir Radlovic,
  • Dejan Nikolic

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/children9050762
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 5
p. 762

Abstract

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Background: The forearm is the most common fracture site in childhood, accounting for every fourth pediatric fracture. It is well described that vitamin D is involved in the regulation of bone mineralization and skeletal homeostasis by the regulation of calcium absorption. The aim of our study was to determine the influence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels on forearm fracture falls in a pediatric population, depending on level of energy impact. Additionally, we also aimed to evaluate the correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and other tested risk factors for pediatric fractures. Methods: We evaluated 50 eligible children aged 3 to 12 years with a forearm fracture. According to energy impact, patients were grouped into low-energy fractures (LEF) and high-energy fractures (HEF) groups. The general characteristics of the patients included age, gender, sport participation, and fractured bone and its localization. We analyzed 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, magnesium, phosphate, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and body mass index (BMI). Results: There is a significant difference in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels distribution between LEF and HEF (p p = 0.002). For magnesium levels, calcium levels, phosphate levels, and CRP levels, there were no significant differences in their frequency distribution. For the group of patients with LEF, there is a significantly positive correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and calcium levels (p = 0.019) and a borderline significantly positive correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and magnesium levels (p = 0.050). For the group of patients with HEF, there was only a significantly positive correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and PTH levels (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children with LEF were more frequently insufficient in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels but had normal calcium levels, compared to the ones with HEF. These findings suggest that LEF and HEF in children might to a certain degree have different pathophysiological mechanisms.

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