AT A GLANCE

A new study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research reveals that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), especially those with bilateral OA and polyarthralgia.¹

“Knee OA is a prevalent condition influenced by various biochemical, anatomical, and lifestyle factors,” explain study authors Swailem et al. “Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in OA, but its role in disease severity and associated symptoms remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in knee OA patients and its relationship with inflammatory markers and clinical symptoms.”

For study purposes, among 986 patients with knee OA (59.7% unilateral knee OA; 40.3% bilateral knee OA) over a 3.5-year period, vitamin D levels, ESR, and platelet counts were collected, along with demographic and clinical data. Statistical analyses were then completed to explore associations.

According to the authors, vitamin D deficiency was observed in 70.9% of participants, with moderate deficiency being most prevalent (36.94%). Bilateral OA was associated with greater vitamin D deficiency levels compared to unilateral OA.

Notably, although no significant association was found between vitamin D levels and inflammatory markers, a strong association was identified between vitamin D deficiency and symptoms like polyarthralgia.

“Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in knee OA patients and its severity [is] associated with bilateral OA and polyarthralgia but not with inflammatory markers,” conclude the authors. “Future research should focus on the long-term impact of vitamin D supplementation and the molecular mechanisms underlying these disparities.”

Reference

1.     Swailem K, Sadhan M, Al-Mashramah GA, Ali Saghir M. Association between vitamin D deficiency, inflammatory markers, and knee osteoarthritis: a retrospective study. J Orthop Surg Res.2025;20(1):794.