Spinal fusion patients often low on vitamin D
Lower levels of vitamin D may put spinal fusion patients at risk, study finds
57% inadequate (< 30 ng)
27% deficient (20 ng)
4% severe deficient (< 10 ng)
The paper, presented Thursday at the North American Spine Society annual meeting,
Buchowski said the idea of checking vitamin D levels of patients first occurred to him in 2008.
A woman in her 40s who had undergone cervical fusion surgery and did not get an adequate fusion told him that she had been treated for a vitamin D deficiency.
"It was like a light bulb went off," he said.
For the last year and a half, all patients undergoing fusion surgery at Washington University have their vitamin D levels checked.
If they are deficient, they will be supplemented with a 50,000 IU prescription dose once a week for eight weeks before their surgery, he said.
No comment about the co-factors important in making bone:
Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin K2, Boron, Silicon
Unfortunately the " prescription dose " is most likely Vitamin D2, which is not nearly as good as Vitamin D3
Charts from Vitamin D3 better than D2
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Far better response to D3 than D2 (im = inter-muscular injection)
Response to 20,000 IU vitamin D3 extra per week
Most > 20ng and some > 40ng
Response to 20,000 IU of vitamin D2 per week
Very few got to 40ng
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