There is high quality evidence that vitamin D plus calcium is associated with a statistically significant reduction in incidence of new non-vertebral fractures .
Vitamin D alone is unlikely to prevent fractures in the doses and formulations tested so far in older people .
Supplements of vitamin D and calcium may prevent hip or any type of fracture .
There was a small but significant increase in gastrointestinal symptoms and renal disease associated with vitamin D and calcium .
This review found that there was no increased risk of death from taking calcium and vitamin
BACKGROUND Vitamin D and related compounds have been used to prevent  osteoporotic fractures in older people .
This is the third up date of a Cochrane review first published in 1996 .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of vitamin D or related compounds , with or without calcium , for preventing  fractures in post-menopausal women and older men .
Knee pain, knee osteoarthritis, and the risk of fracture.
OBJECTIVE Patients with osteoarthritis ( OA ) have increased bone mineral density ; however , the association between knee OA and fracture is controversial . Few data exist on the association between knee pain and fracture . We examined the association of knee OA and knee pain with fracture and falls in elderly men and women . METHODS The study group comprised 6,641 men and women ages > or = 75 years who participated in a 3-year r and omized controlled trial of intramuscular vitamin D therapy .  Patients completed a question naire about knee pain and OA .  Fracture and fall data were collected prospect ively every 6 months . RESULTS Knee pain prevalence and a clinician diagnosis of knee OA were 35.2 % and 6.8 % , respectively . A total of 436 incident nonvertebral fractures were reported , and 3,992 patients sustained a fall . Prevalent knee pain was associated with an increased risk of falls ( hazard ratio [ HR ] 1.26 , 95 % confidence interval [ 95 % CI ] 1.17 - 1.36 ) and hip fracture ( HR 2.0 , 95 % CI 1.18 - 3.37 ) . Increasing severity of knee pain was associated with a greater risk of falls and hip fracture . Clinician diagnosis of knee OA was associated with an increased risk of nonvertebral fractures ( HR 1.61 , 95 % CI 1.09 - 2.36 ) . The increased risk of fracture was not substantially reduced by adjusting for falls , but was attenuated by adjustment for the use of walking aids . CONCLUSION Patients with a clinical diagnosis of knee OA and with knee pain have an increased risk of nonvertebral and hip fracture . This is not explained by the increased risk of falls , but is more likely to be due to the severity of falls sustained . Knee pain and OA should be regarded as independent risk factors for fracture
There is high quality evidence that vitamin D plus calcium is associated with a statistically significant reduction in incidence of new non-vertebral fractures .
Vitamin D alone is unlikely to prevent fractures in the doses and formulations tested so far in older people .
Supplements of vitamin D and calcium may prevent hip or any type of fracture .
There was a small but significant increase in gastrointestinal symptoms and renal disease associated with vitamin D and calcium .
This review found that there was no increased risk of death from taking calcium and vitamin
BACKGROUND Vitamin D and related compounds have been used to prevent  osteoporotic fractures in older people .
This is the third up date of a Cochrane review first published in 1996 .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of vitamin D or related compounds , with or without calcium , for preventing  fractures in post-menopausal women and older men .