Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey | [b] Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ilke Coskun Benlidayi, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkiye. Tel.: +90 538 545 39 37; Fax: +90 322 338 64 29; E-mail:icbenlidayi@hotmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and hemiplegia
are at risk of fractures partly due to decreased bone mineral density with
relation to the low levels of vitamin D. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the vitamin D
profile of patients with SCI and post-stroke hemiplegia. METHODS: 25(OH)D levels of patients with SCI and hemiplegia were
obtained from the electronic medical record database and compared with age-
and sex-matched non-disabled controls. Furthermore, the effect of Functional
Ambulation Category (FAC), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) level
and Brunnstrom's recovery stage, on vitamin D insufficiency, was studied. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 173 individuals (118
patients and 55 controls). Vitamin D levels and sufficiency rates of the
neurologically disabled patients was significantly lower than that of
controls (p= 0.000 and p= 0.000, respectively). However, there was no
difference between patients with SCI and hemiplegia regarding the 25(OH)D
levels and vitamin D insufficiency (p= 0.303 and p= 0.952, respectively).
There were no statistically significant differences in vitamin D status by
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) level and Brunnstrom's score.
However, regression analysis revealed that vitamin D insufficiency rate of
non-functionally ambulatory (FAC = 0-2) patients was higher than that of
functionally ambulatory (FAC = 3-5) ones (p= 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D status of patients with neurological
disabilities was lower than that of controls. Non-functionally ambulatory
patients had higher vitamin D insufficiency rate than functionally
ambulatory patients. Preventative measures including adequate
supplementation of vitamin D should be directed to neurologically disabled
subjects, particularly those with non-functional ambulation.
