Vitamin D supplementation had no statistically significant effects on total body bone mineral content ( BMC ) , hip bone mineral density ( BMD ) or forearm BMD .
These results do not support vitamin D supplementation to improve bone density in healthy children with normal vitamin D levels , but suggest that supplementation of deficient children may be clinical ly useful .
BACKGROUND Results of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) of vitamin D supplementation to improve  bone density in children are inconsistent .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation for improving  bone mineral density in children , whether any effect varies by sex , age or pubertal stage , the type or dose of vitamin D given or baseline vitamin D status , and if effects persist after cessation of supplementation .
Bone density at various sites for prediction of hip fractures
Women with low bone density in the radius or calcaneus are at increased risk of  hip fracture . To see whether bone density of the hip measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry is a better predictor of hip fracture than measurements of other bones , we assessed bone density at several sites in 8134 women aged 65 years or more . 65 women had hip fractures during a mean follow-up of 1.8 years . Each SD decrease in femoral neck bone density increased the age-adjusted risk of hip fracture 2.6 times ( 95 % CL 1.9 , 3.6 ) . Women with bone density in the lowest quartile had an 8.5-fold greater risk of hip fracture than those in the highest quartile . Bone density of the femoral neck was a better predictor than measurements of the spine ( p < 0.0001 ) , radius ( p < 0.002 ) , and moderately better than the calcaneus ( p = 0.10 ) . Low hip bone density is a stronger predictor of hip fracture than bone density at other sites . Efforts to prevent hip fractures should focus on women with low hip bone density
Vitamin D supplementation had no statistically significant effects on total body bone mineral content ( BMC ) , hip bone mineral density ( BMD ) or forearm BMD .
These results do not support vitamin D supplementation to improve bone density in healthy children with normal vitamin D levels , but suggest that supplementation of deficient children may be clinical ly useful .
BACKGROUND Results of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) of vitamin D supplementation to improve  bone density in children are inconsistent .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation for improving  bone mineral density in children , whether any effect varies by sex , age or pubertal stage , the type or dose of vitamin D given or baseline vitamin D status , and if effects persist after cessation of supplementation .