Prevalence and significance of vitamin D deficiency in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis requiring corrective surgery

IntroductionVitamin D deficiency may affect children in terms of growth disturbance, deformity and metabolic disease. The senior authors have felt significant difference in bone quality intra operatively and wondered if vitamin D status was relevant in this. The aim was to assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a cohort of patients undergoing scoliosis correction surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to assess if Vitamin D deficiency had any significance/correlation to the pre-operative cobb angle or pain scores.Material and MethodsAny patient undergoing corrective surgery for AIS who had pre-operative Vitamin D sample taken. From January to December 2014 a total of 69 records were assessed yielding a cohort of 41 patients undergoing surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) with a recorded pre-operative total 25-OH vitamin D level. Three tiers of Vitamin D level were assessed including normal > 50nmol/L, insufficiency   25nmol/L and deficiency < 25nmol/L as per...