Are 25(OH) D Levels Related to the Severity of Knee Osteoarthritis and Function?

Objective: To investigate the effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] in Kuwaiti patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to assess its relation with radiological grading and functional status. Subjects and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 25(OH) D was measured using radioimmunoassay in 99 patients [90 women and 9 men; mean age 56.5 +/- 9.1 years (range: 36-80)] with clinical and radiological findings of primary knee OA. X-ray grading using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale and the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) Atlas grading scale and functional assessments using Lequesne's indices were evaluated in relation to the 25(OH) D level. Other variables studied were age at onset of symptoms, body mass index and duration of disease. Results: The age of the patients at the onset and the duration of disease were 51.58 +/- 7.14 and 3.88 +/- 2.51 years, respectively. Mean scoring for functional assessment was 10.31 +/- 4.35 and mean Kellgren-Lawrence radiological grading was 2.43 +/- 0.85. Radiological finding according to the OARSI Atlas revealed joint space narrowing of grades 2-3 in 87 (87.9%) patients and the presence of osteophytes in 55 (55.6%) patients. The mean value of 25(OH) D level was 11.4 +/- 6.07 ng/ml. Of the 99 patients, 92 (92.9%) were vitamin D deficient. Comparison of 25(OH) D levels to radiological findings and different functional classes showed no significant association. Conclusion: Most of our patients had vitamin D deficiency, but the level of 25(OH) D was not related to the severity of the knee X-ray grading or to the functional assessment in our patients with primary knee OA. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel