Hand injuries associated with mobile phone use: A systematic review.
Savannah C Braud, Melinda J Choi, Kyle Y Xu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review examined hand and wrist pathologies with potential surgical relevance associated with mobile phone use. Searches of Embase, PubMed, and Scopus identified 42 eligible studies, representing over 67,000 individuals; the mean age across studies was 24.6 years. The most frequently reported conditions were de Quervain’s tenosynovitis (n=9), carpal tunnel syndrome (n=6), tendinitis (n=4), and trigger finger (n=1). Across the included studies, greater mobile phone use was associated with higher risk of these pathologies; the review does not report a pooled effect estimate.
Key findings
- The review included 42 studies representing over 67,000 individuals, with a mean age of 24.6 years.
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis was reported most often (n=9), followed by carpal tunnel syndrome (n=6), tendinitis (n=4), and trigger finger (n=1).
- Across studies, increased mobile phone use was associated with higher risk of the reviewed hand and wrist pathologies.
Why it matters
Mobile phone use involves repetitive hand movements, and this review brings together evidence linking use with conditions that may have surgical implications. Awareness of the reported association can support consideration of device-use patterns when assessing hand or wrist symptoms, while recognising that the review does not establish that phone use causes these conditions.
What to keep in mind
The abstract reports an association across included studies but provides no pooled effect estimate or details on study designs, limiting assessment of the strength and consistency of the evidence.