Low Serum Vitamin B12 Levels and Degenerative Rotator Cuff Tear

Overview

• Research Article: Open Access, Published on 17 April 2021.
• Authors: Go-Tak Kim, Siyeoung Yoon, Hyun Il Lee, Kyung Rae Ko, Sang-Cheol Lee, Do Kyung Kim, Jaeyeon Shin, So-young Lee, Soonchul Lee.
• Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, Volume 22, Article number 364 (2021).
• Citations: 8, Accesses: 11k, Altmetric: 2

Background

• Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Results in elevated homocysteine, affects collagen cross-linking, potentially impacts tendon integrity.
• Study Purpose: Examine the correlation between serum Vitamin B12 levels and degenerative rotator cuff (RC) tear.

Methods

• Participants: 87 patients, both with and without degenerative RC tear.
• Risk Factors Analyzed: Age, sex, medical history, bone mineral density (BMD), and serum chemistries (Vit B12, homocysteine, folate, etc.).
• Analysis: Univariate and logistic regression to identify independent predictors for RC tear.

Results

• Vitamin B12 Levels: Patients with RC tear had lower mean Vit B12 (528.4pg/mL) compared to controls (627.1pg/mL), with significance (p=0.044).
• Independent Predictor: Low Vit B12 independently linked to degenerative RC tear.
• Tear Size: No correlation between Vit B12 levels and tear size.

Conclusions

• Key Finding: Low serum Vit B12 levels are independently associated with degenerative RC tear.
• Future Directions: More research needed to evaluate if Vit B12 supplementation could reduce RC tear risk.

Study Details

Ethics and Design

• Ethics Approval: Institutional review board approved. Informed consent obtained.
• Study Population: Conducted in South Korea, age 55-80 years, excluding patients with certain medical histories.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Biochemical Markers: Blood samples analyzed for various markers including Vit B12.
• Statistical Methods: Logistic regression, ANOVA, Chi-square tests.

Arthroscopic Examination

• Procedure: Same surgeon performed all surgeries, details of surgical approach provided.

Discussion

• Vit B12 in Tendinopathy: Deficiency impacts collagen synthesis, may contribute to oxidative stress.
• RC Tear Pathogenesis: Related to impaired collagen synthesis, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation.
• Role of Homocysteine (HCY): Elevated HCY linked with poor tendon healing.

Limitations

• Limited exploration of Vit B12 supplementation effects.
• HCY levels not significantly different between groups.
• Single measurement of Vit B12.

Conclusion

• Vit B12 Deficiency: Recognized as a risk factor for RC tear.
• Further Investigations: Needed for understanding Vit B12's effects on tendon structural properties.

Abbreviations

• Vit B12: Vitamin B12
• RC: Rotator Cuff
• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• ELISA: Electrochemiluminescence Immune Assay
• BMD: Bone Mineral Density
• ANOVA: Analysis of Variance
• OR: Odds Ratio
• MMP: Matrix Metalloproteinase
• ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species

References

• References include a variety of scientific articles supporting the findings.

Funding

• Supported by National Research Foundation of Korea and Korea government grants.

Authors and Affiliations

• Detailed affiliations provided for each author involved in the study.