Volume 21, Issue 4 pp. 788-795
Original Article

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with tibial bone pain and tenderness. A possible contributive role

Mansour Babaei

Mansour Babaei

Mobility Impairment Research Center, Babol University Of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Clinical Research Development Unite of Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Division Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Rouhani Hospital, Babol, Iran

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Mehdi Esmaeili Jadidi

Mehdi Esmaeili Jadidi

Division Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Rouhani Hospital, Babol, Iran

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Behzad Heidari

Corresponding Author

Behzad Heidari

Mobility Impairment Research Center, Babol University Of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Clinical Research Development Unite of Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Correspondence: Dr Behzad Heidari, Mobility Impairment Research Center, Babol University Of Medical Sciences, Babol 47176–41367, Iran. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Hemmat Gholinia

Hemmat Gholinia

Clinical Research Development Unite of Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Student Research Committee, Master of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol, Iran

Health Research Center, Master of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol, Iran

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First published: 05 January 2018
Citations: 6

Abstract

Background

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with osteomalacia and a variety of musculoskeletal pain. This study aimed to determine the association of vitamin D deficiency with tibial bone pain and tenderness.

Methods

Patients with leg pain, defined as local pain and tenderness over tibial bones for ≥ 6 weeks were consecutively selected. Secondary causes of pain were excluded by appropriate clinical, radiological and laboratory examinations. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and levels < 20 ng/mL were considered as deficiency. Age- and sex-matched subjects without leg pain served as controls. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations.

Results

One hundred and eighteen patients and 114 controls aged 46.8 ± 14.8 and 44.6 ± 14.1 years, respectively (= 0.93) were analyzed. Mean 25-OHD level was significantly lower (= 0.001) and the prevalence of 25-OHD deficiency was significantly higher in the patients as compared with the controls (75.4% vs. 23.6%), odds ratio (OR) = 9.54 (95% CI, 5.22–17.45, = 0.001). There was a negative dose-response relationship between serum 25-OHD and tibial bone pain by OR = 17.33 (95% CI, 6.48–46.3) in subjects with 25-OHD < 10 ng/mL, and OR = 14.7 (95% CI, 6.35–34.6) in serum 25-OHD levels at 10–19.9 ng/mL, and OR = 2.58 (95% CI, 1.08–6.1) in those with 25-OHD at 20–29.9 ng/mL as compared with 25-OHD ≥ 30 ng/mL. After controlling for demographic and biochemical factors, the association reached a stronger level of 19.8 (6.9–56.3) in subjects with serum 25-OHD < 10 ng/mL and 14.4 (5.8–34.6) in those with serum 25-OHD at levels of 10–19.9 ng/mL and 1.85 (0.73–4.6) in 20–29 ng/mL.

Conclusion

These findings indicate a possible contributive role for serum 25-OHD deficiency in the development of pain and tenderness over the tibial bone.

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