Vitamin D on Multiple Bone Fractures

Clinical Study Title:
Pathological long-bone fractures in residents with cerebral palsy in a long-term care facility in South Africa.

Plain English Summary:

Many patients who suffer from cerebral palsy often have multiple bone fractures. This study looked at this statistic in depth to try to determine a cause and an effective treatment. Participants were mostly children and young adults living in a residential care facility. A daily supplement of vitamin D was given over a period of 3 months, and after this time, there was a significant decrease in the number of fractures experienced by participants. This suggests that vitamin D deficiency plays a role in the number of fractures many residential care residents suffer, and that a daily supplement including vitamin D should be considered for all residential care patients.

Authors:
Bischof F. Basu D. Pettifor JM.

Institution:
Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Country of Publication:
England

Source:
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 44(2):119-22, 2002 Feb.