Association between smartphone use and carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common entrapment neuropathy of the upper limb. No published Saudi Arabian study has explored the effect of smartphones on the median nerve. This study aimed to assess the association between smartphone use and the development of CTS. This case-control study involved adults aged 18 years and older who visited King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patients were clinically diagnosed with CTS, confirmed by nerve conduction study (NCS) and electromyography, while controls were free of CTS based on the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. In total, 95 cases and 190 controls were included, with most participants being female (84.2%). Using smartphones for 2 hours per day or more was significantly associated with CTS, and after adjusting for covariates, 4 hours or more per day remained associated with CTS. Those holding smartphones with both hands had 7.8 times higher odds of developing CTS. The study concludes that prolonged smartphone use is associated with CTS, emphasizing the need for awareness among primary care physicians and further prospective studies to assess long-term effects.