ABSTRACT
Fractures are a commonly encountered patient problem and, depending on the patient and the fracture characteristics, are associated with significant morbidity and in some cases mortality. In the United States alone, it is estimated that 6 million people will incur a fractured bone annually, and of those, nearly 5% (300,000) will develop delayed union or non-union. This chapter discusses the role that nutrition and nutrient supplementation plays in the treatment of fractures and the prevention of non-union. The type of healing that bone undergoes relies primarily on the type of stability applied to the fracture site by orthopedic practitioners. Malnutrition commonly affects patients with fracture, especially elderly patients with fragility fractures. Not dissimilar to vitamin D deficiency, the definition of malnutrition in the orthopedic literature has been defined multiple ways. While not nearly to the extent of vitamin D, vitamin K has also received some attention with regard to its role in maintaining bone health and prevention of fractures.
