Impact of 3-monthly vitamin D supplementation plus exercise on survival after surgery for osteoporotic hip fracture in adult patients over 50 years: A pragmatic randomized, partially blinded, controlled trial

Objective To determine whether 3-monthly supplementation of an oral vitamin D widely used in Spain (calcifediol) plus daily exercise could influence survival at one and four years after surgery for osteoporotic hip fracture. Design A pragmatic, randomized, partially single-blind placebo-controlled study. Setting Patients admitted to a tertiary university hospital for acute hip fracture. Participants 675 healthy adult patients undergoing surgery for osteoporotic hip fracture were recruited from January 2004 to December 2007. Intervention Patients were randomized to receive either 3-monthly oral doses of 3 mg calcifediol (Hidroferol Choque®) or placebo in the 12 months postsurgery. Patients who received calcifediol were also given an exercise programme. The placebo group received standard health recommendations only. Measurements The primary endpoint was survival at 1 year and at 4 year follow-up. We also recorded new fractures, medical complications and anti-osteoporotic treatment compliance. Results We included a total of 88 patients, aged 62 to 99 years. Mean age was 82 years and 88.6% were women. At 12 months, 10 (11.3%) patients had died, 9 of them, from the non-intervention group. At 4 years after surgery, 20 (22.7%) had died, 3 (3.4%) from the intervention group and 17 (19.3%) from the non-intervention group. At this time, survival curve analysis showed 93% survival in the intervention group and 62% in the non-intervention group (p=0.001). At 12-month follow up, there were 18 new fractures, 9 in each group. The non-intervention group had more medical complications, with significant differences at visit 2 (p = 0.04) and 3 (p = 0.02) but not at visit 4 (p = 0.18). No significant differences between groups were found regarding treatment compliance. Conclusion 3-monthly, oral supplements of 3 mg calcifediol plus daily exercise improved survival at one-year and four-year follow up after surgery for an osteoporotic hip fracture.