Early Rehabilitation Program and Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Sensitivity of Balance and the Postural Control in Patients after Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND

The introduction of early rehabilitation exercise is the foundation of treatment post-Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery, and the search for additional sources of reinforcement physiotherapy seems to be very important.

METHODS

The patients were randomly divided into the vitamin D3 ( = 15; D3) supplemented group and received 3200 IU per day for five weeks before surgery and the placebo group ( = 18; Pl) received vegetable oil during the same time. The patients began the supervisor rehabilitation program four weeks after surgery.

RESULTS

The limits of stability (LOS) were significantly improved in the D3 group after 5 and 14 weeks ( < 0.05), while in the Pl group, progress was only observed after 14 weeks ( < 0.05). The LOS were also higher in the D3 group than in the Pl group after five weeks of supervised rehabilitation ( < 0.05). In the postural stability (PST) test, significant progress was observed in the D3 group after 14 weeks ( < 0.02). In addition, neither rehabilitation nor supplementation had significant effects on the risk of falls (RFT).

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin D supplementation seems to ameliorate the effects of an early postoperative rehabilitation program implemented four weeks after posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Early physiotherapy treatment after PLIF surgery combined with vitamin D supplementation appears to be a very important combination with regard to the patients' recovery process.