Low Vitamin D Impairs Strength Recovery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery

Tyler Barker, PhD tyler.barker at imail.org; The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, Murray, UT, USA
Thomas B. Martins, MS; ARUP Laboratories, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Harry R. Hill, MD; ARUP Laboratories, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Carl R. Kjeldsberg; ARUP Laboratories, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Roy H. Trawick, MD; The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital and Clinic, Murray, UT, USA
Lindell K. Weaver, MD; University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Maret G. Traber, PhD; Linus Pauling Institute and Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine July 29, 2011

The purpose of this study was to identify strength gains after an anterior cruciate ligament injury and surgery and during inflammatory challenge in participants with disparate vitamin D levels. Plasma samples were obtained from those who had not previously experienced an anterior cruciate ligament injury and from injured patients 2 weeks before and 3 months after anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and cytokine concentrations were measured in each blood sample. Single-leg peak isometric forces were measured 2 weeks presurgery and 3 months postsurgery. Compared with noninjured participants, inflammatory cytokines were elevated prior to and following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

During this inflammatory challenge, the peak isometric force increases after surgery were significantly lower in those with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations <30 ng/mL compared with those with concentrations ?30 ng/mL. The authors conclude that low vitamin D appears to hinder strength recovery after anterior cruciate ligament surgery and during inflammatory insult.
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