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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
The relationship between serum 25(OH)D and bone density and microarchitecture as measured by HR-pQCT
S K Boyd1, L A Burt, L K Sevick
1McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada, skboyd@ucalgary.ca.
Unlabelled:
The relation between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] and bone quality is not well understood, particularly for high levels. We measured bone microarchitecture in three groups of people stratified by their serum 25(OH)D. There was a weak association of serum 25(OH)D and microarchitecture for this cross-sectional population, suggesting possible benefits to bone quality.
Introduction:
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone and mineral metabolism, but the relation between serum 25(OH)D and bone quality is not well understood. Here, we present a cross-sectional study that investigated a convenience group of participants from an ongoing health initiative in Alberta, Canada, who have been receiving daily vitamin D supplementation.
Methods:
A total of 105 participants were organized into three groups based on their serum 25(OH)D levels: low (<75 nmol/L), medium (75-175 nmol/L), and high (>175 nmol/L). They were also assessed with 25(OH)D as a continuous variable. Average daily supplementation was 7670 ± 438 IU, and the change in 25(OH)D ranged from 22 to 33 % during the period of receiving supplements. We used high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography measurements at the radius and tibia to assess bone microarchitecture.
Results:
Microarchitectural parameters were not strongly associated with serum 25(OH)D. In the tibia, there were fewer trabeculae (TbN; p = 0.015) and a non-significant trend toward thicker trabeculae (p = 0.067) of the high group. Body mass index (BMI) was negatively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.001) and PTH levels (p < 0.001). There was no clinically significant relationship detected between high serum 25(OH)D and high serum calcium.
Conclusion:
These data suggest a weak relationship between serum 25(OH)D and bone microarchitecture in this population of mostly vitamin-D-sufficient participants, and there were no indications of negative effects related to the high supplementation levels. These data provided a basis to design and implement our 3-year dose-dependent randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone health outcomes.
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