VItamin D Effect on Osteoarthritis Study

Summary

Observational evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may have a role in the causes of osteoarthritis (OA) and there are biologically plausible mechanisms to explain this. There is, however, no evidence which shows that intervening with vitamin D supplementation can slow the progression of OA. This study is to determine if vitamin D supplementation can reduce knee pain and slow knee cartilage loss in OA patients comparing with a placebo. Use of MRI will provide sensitive measures of knee OA changes.

Timeline

Start

2010-08

Primary completion

2013-12

Completion

2014-12

Publications

• Background Ding C, Cicuttini F, Parameswaran V, Burgess J, Quinn S, Jones G. Serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and knee cartilage loss in older adults: the Tasmanian older adult cohort study. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 May;60(5):1381-9. doi: 10.1002/art.24486.
• Wang T, Zheng S, Jin X, Cen H, Zhu Z, Han W, Wluka A, Cicuttini F, Cao P, Ding C. Baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels predict the effects of vitamin D supplementation on joint symptoms and cartilage loss in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Rheumatol Adv Pract. 2025 May 27;9(3):rkaf061. doi: 10.1093/rap/rkaf061. eCollection 2025.
• Chang J, Chen T, Yan Y, Zhu Z, Han W, Zhao Y, Antony B, Wluka A, Winzenberg T, Cicuttini F, Ding C. Associations between the morphological parameters of proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) and changes in tibiofemoral joint structures in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Jan 27;24(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s13075-022-02719-8.
• Zheng S, Tu L, Cicuttini F, Zhu Z, Han W, Antony B, Wluka AE, Winzenberg T, Aitken D, Blizzard L, Jones G, Ding C. Depression in patients with knee osteoarthritis: risk factors and associations with joint symptoms. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021 Jan 7;22(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03875-1.
• Tu L, Zheng S, Cicuttini F, Jin X, Han W, Zhu Z, Antony B, Winzenberg T, Jones G, Gu J, Wluka AE, Ding C. Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Disabling Foot Pain in Patients With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2021 Jun;73(6):781-787. doi: 10.1002/acr.24371.
• Cuellar WA, Blizzard L, Hides JA, Callisaya ML, Jones G, Cicuttini F, Wluka AE, Ding C, Winzenberg TM. Vitamin D supplements for trunk muscle morphology in older adults: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2019 Feb;10(1):177-187. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12364. Epub 2018 Nov 22.
• Wang X, Jin X, Blizzard L, Antony B, Han W, Zhu Z, Cicuttini F, Wluka AE, Winzenberg T, Jones G, Ding C. Associations Between Knee Effusion-synovitis and Joint Structural Changes in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol. 2017 Nov;44(11):1644-1651. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.161596. Epub 2017 Sep 1.
• Zhu Z, Otahal P, Wang B, Jin X, Laslett LL, Wluka AE, Antony B, Han W, Wang X, Winzenberg T, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Ding C. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum inflammatory cytokines and knee bone marrow lesions in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2017 Apr;25(4):499-505. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2016.10.024. Epub 2016 Nov 9.
• Jin X, Jones G, Cicuttini F, Wluka A, Zhu Z, Han W, Antony B, Wang X, Winzenberg T, Blizzard L, Ding C. Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Tibial Cartilage Volume and Knee Pain Among Patients With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2016 Mar 8;315(10):1005-13. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.1961.
• Zhu Z, Jin X, Wang B, Wluka A, Antony B, Laslett LL, Winzenberg T, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Ding C. Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Serum Levels of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, Knee Bone Marrow Lesions, and Knee Pain in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016 Oct;68(10):1471-7. doi: 10.1002/acr.22834. Epub 2016 Sep 6.
• Veloudi P, Blizzard CL, Ding CH, Cicuttini FM, Jin X, Wluka AE, Winzenberg T, Jones G, Sharman JE. Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Aortic Stiffness and Arterial Hemodynamics in People With Osteoarthritis and Vitamin D Deficiency. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Dec 15;66(23):2679-2681. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.10.007. No abstract available.
• Cao Y, Jones G, Cicuttini F, Winzenberg T, Wluka A, Sharman J, Nguo K, Ding C. Vitamin D supplementation in the management of knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2012 Aug 6;13:131. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-13-131.

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Indications