Baseline characteristics of groups at randomisation*
| Characteristic | Ca+D group (n=44) | Ca group (n=28) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (months) | 55 (15–144) | 42 (16–91) |
| Female Sex (%) | 25 (57%) | 17 (61%) |
| Duration of symptoms (months) | 21.5 (0.8–108) | 19.1 (0.5–61) |
| Radiographic score | 5.5 (2.6–9.5) | 5.9 (2.8–10) |
| Exposure to sunlight (h/day) | 2 (0–8) | 1 (0–8) |
| Exposed skin (%) | 31 (19–47) | 37 (19–47)† |
| Dairy product calcium intake (mg/day) | 11 (0–321) | 36 (0–200) |
| Dietary calcium intake (mg/day) | 174 (75–402) | 168 (70–589) |
| Dietary energy intake (kcal/day) | 1116 (477–1954) | 1046 (627–2318) |
| Height for age z-score | −3.78 (−7.37 to −0.30) | −3.02 (−5.97 to 0.27) |
| Weight for height z-score | −0.04 (−2.58 to 1.91) | −0.57 (−2.15 to 1.45) |
| Serum biochemistry | ||
| Calcium (mmol/L)‡ | 2.1 (1.6–4.0) | 2.1 (1.3–3.0) |
| Corrected calcium (mmol/L)§ | 2.0 (1.5–2.8) | 2.0 (1.2–2.5) |
| Phosphorus (mmol/L)¶ | 1.1 (0.4–2.3) | 1.2 (0.7–1.8) |
| Alkaline phosphatase (U/L) | 599 (291–2670) | 522 (268–2183) |
| Albumin (g/L) | 44 (30–78) | 45 (38–64) |
| 25(OH)D (nmol/L)** | 29.5 (0–50) | 31.7 (10–70) |
| 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L | 18 (41%) | 11 (39%) |
| Bone densitometry | ||
| Distal radius and ulna | ||
| Areal bone density (g/cm2) | 0.127 (0.081–0.237) | 0.129 (0.057–0.189) |
| Bone mineral content (g) | 0.245 (0.162–0.699) | 0.249 (0.072–0.567) |
| Bone area (cm2) | 2.084 (1.494–2.996) | 2.096 (1.257–3.307) |
| Proximal 1/3 radius and ulna | ||
| Areal bone density (g/cm2) | 0.183 (0.130–0.304) | 0.194 (0.139–0.326) |
| Bone mineral content (g) | 0.333 (0.239–0.656) | 0.342 (0.214–0.722) |
| Bone area (cm2) | 1.878 (1.495–2.467) | 1.836 (1412–2.312) |
*Data are shown as medians (range) for consistency in the table, because some variables have non-normal distributions.
†p<0.05 for comparison with Ca+D group.
‡To convert values for calcium to milligrams per decilitre, multiply by 4.0.
§Corrected calcium (mmol/L)=total calcium (mmol/L)+0.02×(40–albumin (g/L)).
¶To convert values for phosphorus to milligrams per decilitre, multiply by 3.1.
**To convert values for 25(OH)D to nanograms per millilitre, multiply by 0.40.