Smartphones have become a part and parcel of the daily existence in our lives due
to their multifunctional usefulness apart from normal phone features, which includes
internet browsing, electronic mail, location services, camera, as well as third-party
applications called “apps”, which let the user perform a whole gamut of activities.[1] With this premise, the study by Gonçalves et al.[2] was read and analyzed with interest, and it aimed to investigate the long-term use
of smartphones as a risk factor for the development of morbidities in the wrist and
fingers. The study concluded that there is a significant correlation between the length
of smartphone use and discomfort in the wrist and fingers.
The study included 100 subjects with a history of smartphone use for the past 5 years.
Considering the prevalence of smartphone use, which is reported to be of approximately
79% of the population in the age group between 18 and 44 years, an adequate sample
size in a prospective study like this may have yielded more interesting results with
greater validity.[3]
The study used the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) to assess the symptoms
as well as the functional deficit in the included subjects. This patient-reported
outcome measure (PROM) has been criticized since its functional scale does not cover
activities related to computers or smartphones.[4] Since the study in question deals with the effects of smartphone use, the application
of the BCTQ may have been inappropriate. The use of other validated tools, such as
the Modified BCTQ, which contains two additional items related to electronic gadgets
and driving, would have provided more valid results.
Studies with an adequate sample size calculated prospectively based on the prevalence
rate of smartphone use along with the use of a PROM which encompasses the items related
to smartphone use shall help us more in understanding the role of smartphones in the
development of pain in the upper limb.
