Early Rehabilitation Program and Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Sensitivity of Balance and the Postural Control in Patients after Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Randomized Trial.

Background: The introduction of early rehabilitation exercise is the foundation of treatment post-Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery, and the search for additional sources of reinforcement physiotherapy seems to be very important.

Methods: The patients were randomly divided into the vitamin D3 ( = 15; D3) supplemented group and received 3200 IU per day for five weeks before surgery and the placebo group ( = 18; Pl) received vegetable oil during the same time. The patients began the supervisor rehabilitation program four weeks after surgery.

Results: The limits of stability (LOS) were significantly improved in the D3 group after 5 and 14 weeks ( < 0.05), while in the Pl group, progress was only observed after 14 weeks ( < 0.05). The LOS were also higher in the D3 group than in the Pl group after five weeks of supervised rehabilitation ( < 0.05). In the postural stability (PST) test, significant progress was observed in the D3 group after 14 weeks ( < 0.02). In addition, neither rehabilitation nor supplementation had significant effects on the risk of falls (RFT).

Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation seems to ameliorate the effects of an early postoperative rehabilitation program implemented four weeks after posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Early physiotherapy treatment after PLIF surgery combined with vitamin D supplementation appears to be a very important combination with regard to the patients' recovery process.