A new study found that more than half of the people undergoing spinal fusion surgery had inadequate levels of vitamin D, a condition that doctors say might reduce their chances of having successful back surgery. The research involved 313 adults undergoing fusion surgery at Washington University in St. Louis in 2010 and 2011. Their blood levels of vitamin D were tested before surgery. A total of 57% of the patients had inadequate vitamin D levels, defined as a blood level of less than 30 nanograms per milliliter. Of those, 27% had deficient vitamin D (less than 20 ng/ml) and 4% had a severe deficiency (less than 10 ng/ml).
