The joint research team of Associate Professor Yuko Sakamoto (working at Nerima Hospital attached to the Faculty of Medicine) and Associate Professor Yoshiaki Ishijima of the Department of Orthopedic Science, Juntendo University School of Medicine has said that "it is not a disease, but it will heal naturally over time." For the first time in the world, it was revealed that the genu varum "physiological genu varum" of babies aged 1 and a half to 2 years old is actually related to the deficiency of vitamin D, which is an important nutrient for bones.
The O-legs that are separated between the knees, which are seen in babies around 1 and a half to 2 years old, are called "physiological O-legs". It is said, "Let's take a look at the situation because it is not" rickets "" even if you take an X-ray in orthopedics. "Rickets" is a disease in which blood tests show abnormalities in vitamin D deficiency and bone-related items at the same time as genu varum, and roentgen images confirm that the bones are not properly nourished.On the other hand, in "physiological O-leg", only O-leg is observed, and no abnormal condition exceeding the standard value is found by X-ray image or blood test.
The research team conducted a survey with the expectation that "a mild nutritional disorder may occur in the bones" in the same way as "rickets" in "physiological O-legs".In the survey, babies who came to the hospital because they were worried about O-legs and babies of the same age who came to the hospital because of a cold without O-legs were adjusted so that the male-female ratio was the same, and the results of blood tests on bones were compared. rice field.As a result, genu varum babies are deficient in vitamin D compared to genu varum babies, and blood test items (parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase) for bones that are abnormally high in "rickets" are standard values. It was found to be higher, though within the range of.
In addition, the correlation between parathyroid hormone and vitamin D was also different between babies with O-legs and babies without O-legs.Parathyroid hormone is secreted when the body is deficient in calcium, so it is secreted more when vitamin D is deficient and calcium absorption is poor. The more vitamin D deficient in genu varum babies, the more parathyroid hormone was secreted, but babies without genu varum did not.This may indicate that O-legged babies have a deficient calcium intake.
Based on these survey results, it can be said that O-legged babies are in a state close to "rickets" even if the X-ray image and blood test are within the standard values, and they are actively exposed to sunlight, salmon and saury.・ It is important to take vitamin D by eating fish such as sardines and shirasu.In the future, the research team will investigate when vitamin D deficiency is related to O-legs (when in the mother's stomach, after birth, etc.), its relationship with nutrition, and its relationship with constitution.
Paper information:[Calcified Tissue International] Physiological leg bowing is not a physiologic condition but instead is associated with vitamin D disorders in toddlers
