We conducted a thorough investigation into the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on knee pain and cartilage volume in people suffering from knee osteoarthritis, particularly those with low vitamin D levels. This study took place in Tasmania and Victoria, Australia, and was designed as a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Over a span of two years, we divided participants into two groups: one received a monthly dose of oral vitamin D3 (50,000 IU), while the other group received a placebo. Our main focus was to evaluate any changes in tibial cartilage volume, measured through MRI, as well as the participants' knee pain levels as indicated by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain score.
The results showed that, compared to the placebo group, those who received vitamin D3 experienced no significant differences in either tibial cartilage volume or reported knee pain over the two years. This indicates that vitamin D3 supplementation does not provide meaningful benefits for reducing tibial cartilage loss or improving knee pain in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.