The Correlation between Vitamin D Deficiency and Orthopedic Manifestations in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Original Article | Volume 12 | Issue 2 | May-August 2026 | Page: 26-35 | Premal Naik, Mugdha M Mehta
DOI- https://doi.org/10.13107/ijpo.2026.v12.i02.276
Open Access License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2026; The Author(s).
Submitted: 19/01/2026; Reviewed: 14/02/2026; Accepted: 21/06/2026; Published: 10/08/2026
Authors: Premal Naik [1], Mugdha M Mehta [2]
[1] Rainbow Superspeciality Hospital & Children’s Orthopaedic Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
[2] Department of Neurology, UTMB, Galveston, Texas
Address of Correspondence
Dr. Premal Naik,
Director, Rainbow Superspeciality Hospital & Children’s Orthopaedic Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
E-mail: premalnaik@gmail.com
Abstract
Purpose: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Vitamin D (Vit-D) deficiency in children was reported from many parts of the world, but no such study exists for Indian children. Vit-D deficiency leading to orthopedic manifestations during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been reported to date. We studied the correlation between Vit-D deficiency and orthopedic manifestations during the COVID-19 pandemic in otherwise healthy children.
Materials and Methods: The study group included children aged 5–18 years who had prolonged home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and exhibited signs of Vit-D deficiency, such as proximal myopathy, deformity, and pathological fractures. The study group was compared to a similar group from the preceding 2 years (control group).
Results: Thirty-six children (9 pre-adolescents and 27 adolescents) were enrolled in the study group. Twenty-five children presented with genu varum or valgum, six had insufficiency fractures of the femoral neck, and five had proximal myopathy. After medical treatment, 21 children with deformities were either treated or advised growth modulation or osteotomy, and fractures were stabilized. All children with myopathy recovered with medical treatment, and all fractures united without complications.
Conclusion: There was a sudden increase in the incidence of children with Vitamin-D deficiency due to prolonged home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. We could not find any correlation between Vit-D levels, the amount of delay, and the mode of presentation. Many children presented late with orthopedic problems requiring surgical interventions, which could have been prevented with timely diagnosis.
Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency, COVID-19 pandemic, orthopedic manifestation of Vitamin D deficiency, children, case series.
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| How to Cite this Article: Naik P, Mehta MM | The correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and orthopaedic manifestations in children during the COVID-19 pandemic | International Journal of Paediatric Orthopaedics | May-August 2026; 12(2): 26-35. |
