Use of Smartphones as a Risk Factor for the Development of Morbidities in the Wrist and Fingers

Ana Mariza Dos Santos Gonçalves; Vinícius José Guimarães do Carmo; Letycia Monteiro Cavalcanti Araújo; Taciane Machado de Melo Pereira

doi:10.1055/s-0042-1748948

Use of Smartphones as a Risk Factor for the Development of Morbidities in the Wrist and Fingers

Rev Bras Ortop (Sao Paulo). 2023 Jun 29;58(3):457-462. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1748948. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Ana Mariza Dos Santos Gonçalves¹, Vinícius José Guimarães do Carmo¹, Letycia Monteiro Cavalcanti Araújo¹, Taciane Machado de Melo Pereira¹

Affiliation

¹ Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Integração do Sertão (FIS), Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brasil.

Abstract

Objective To investigate the long-term use of smartphones as a risk factor for the development of morbidities in the wrist and fingers. Methods The present is a descriptive, exploratory study with a quantitative approach based on injury prevalence among one hundred smartphone users of a private university in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. We applied a semi-structured questionnaire and the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), as well as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Finkelstein, Phalen, reverse Phalen, and Tinel signal tests on the wrist. Results The average of the sample was of 22.73 years, with a prevalence of single, right-handed female participants. Most of them had been using smartphones for 5 to 10 years, and 85% reported discomfort in the wrist and fingers while using the device, with numbness as the most prevalent symptom. Most clinical tests were negative, and the Finklestein test showed greater positivity. The BCTQ is composed of a symptom severity scale (S scale) and a functional status scale (F scale): the overall score on the S scale was of 1.61, indicating mild to moderate symptoms, and the F scale revealed that the symptoms did not affect functionality. Conclusion There was a significant correlation between the length of use of smartphones and discomfort in the wrist and fingers; as such, smartphones are a risk factor for the development of morbidities.

Keywords: cumulative trauma disorders; hand trauma; mobile phones; wrist trauma.

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Grants and funding

Suporte Financeiro Os autores declaram que não receberam nenhum apoio financeiro de fontes públicas, comerciais ou sem fins lucrativos para a realização do presente estudo.