The role of Vitamin D as an adjunct for bone regeneration: A systematic review of literature.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Systematic review limited entirely to preclinical in vitro and animal studies
PubMed 37091280 · doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2023.02.002
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review searching indexed literature from January 1990 to June 2022 to assess adjunctive vitamin D in bone defect regeneration, osseointegration, and in vitro osteogenic differentiation. From 384 identified titles, 23 preclinical studies were included (9 in vitro and 14 in vivo animal studies). No human clinical trials were included.
What was found
The abstract reports directional findings without numerical values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. In vitro, adjunctive vitamin D with stem cells and osteoblasts enhanced osteogenic differentiation and upregulated alkaline phosphatase and bone matrix protein gene expression. In vivo animal models demonstrated accelerated and increased new bone formation and mineralization in defects, improved bone-implant contact, and enhanced osseointegration, even in animals with induced systemic illnesses. Systemic administration showed superior healing outcomes compared to local delivery.
Why it matters
This review aggregates preclinical biological evidence supporting vitamin D as a low-cost adjunct to enhance bone healing and osseointegration, pointing to specific parameters needing evaluation in future clinical trials.
Limits
The evidence base is entirely preclinical (in vitro cell cultures and animal models), limiting direct translation to clinical human efficacy. The abstract provides no quantitative data, effect estimates, or assessments of study quality or publication bias.
Cited by
- supports Vitamin D binding to osteoblasts stimulates bone formation.