Impact of Vitamin D on Surgical Outcomes for Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis

Background In recent years, bone health optimization, including vitamin D supplementation, has increasingly been advocated in spinal surgery to improve surgical outcomes. Nevertheless, few studies have explored the connection between blood vitamin D levels and surgical outcomes for lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients with LSS and whether vitamin D levels were associated with surgical outcomes for LSS. Methods In this retrospective study, we investigated the association between recovery rate and factors including vitamin D levels using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Results A total of 154 patients (83 men and 71 women) were included in this study. Among them, 71% were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. Multivariable linear regression analysis identified preoperative serum vitamin D levels as an independent factor associated with the recovery rate after surgery for LSS (P = 0.02). Patients with vitamin D deficiency exhibited lower recovery rates compared with those with sufficient vitamin D levels (P = 0.01). Conclusions Preoperative vitamin D levels were associated with surgical outcomes for LSS. Further studies are warranted to examine the optimal threshold of vitamin D levels associated with clinical outcomes in spine surgery and whether therapeutic interventions could improve postoperative outcomes. Clinical Relevance This study highlights that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with LSS and is significantly associated with poorer postoperative recovery. Level of Evidence 4.