Daily Excessive Use Of Smartphone, Leads To Exaggerated Hand Symptoms Among University Students As Checked By Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The usage of smartphone (SP) has dramatically increased among young University students for their daily work and social media connect. It affects hand functions, and the present study was aimed at checking for chronicity of SP use and their effect on hand function. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design ─ N=150 university students in the age group of 18-35 years were involved, after taking informed consent. They were using smartphone chronically (>12 months minimum). Hand functions were checked using Smartphone addiction scale (SAS) and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ). To check the effect of chronicity the participants were grouped based on daily usage (3-6hrs; 6-9hrs & >9hrs per day of SP use), and usage over a period of months (12-60 months; 60-120 months & >120 months of SP use). One – way ANOVA was used to check significant difference taking p=0.05 as the level of significance. Results: For all participants Mean values were ─ SAS = 22.63 ± 4.075, BCTQ FSS = 11.41 ± 3.784, BCTQ SSS= 15.053 ± 4.32. Significant differences were seen in daily usage of SP on BCTQ FSS (p=0.00097 & f ratio=5.73) and BCTQ SSS (p=0.032 & f ratio=2.99). ANOVA for SAS was significant (p<0.05) for daily usage groups but not for usage over a period of months. Conclusion: Excessive daily usage of smartphone for more than 3 hours, chronically leads to hand symptoms among University students, and it is addictive as seen here, however chronicity of use over months in non-addictive. It has implications during daily extended uses like working on SP for official work and gaming.

Effect of yogic exercises on symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders of upper limbs among computer users: A randomised controlled trial.

Background and Objectives:Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are very common in regular computer users and leading cause of work related illness. The objective of the present study is to evaluate effectiveness of yogic exercises in the improvement of symptoms of MSDs of upper limbs. Materials and Methods: 60 study participants were randomly divided into two groups that is yoga with counselling and only counselling group for 12 weeks. Symptom severity and functional status were assessed using the self administered Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire and predesigned symptom questionnaire before and after intervention. Results: There was significant reduction in symptom severity score (P = 0.002) and improvement in functional status score in yoga with counselling group when compared to only counselling group. There is also a significant decrease in self reported symptoms like CT myalgia symptom (P = 0.019) and improvement in weakness. Conclusion: The present study showed a yoga based regimen is more effective than counselling alone in relieving symptoms of computer related musculoskeletal disorders.

Long-Term Changes of the Clinical and Nerve Electrophysiological Findings after Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical symptoms and function and the nerve electrophysiological changes between the pre-operative and long-term post-operative states of patients who underwent surgical treatment with endoscopic release of the carpal tunnel for idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed in 48 patients and 88 wrists with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome. All patients were treated with endoscopic carpal tunnel release using a single portal. The preoperative and the 3 years 5 months long-term postoperative clinical symptoms and function were evaluated using the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire. The nerve electrophysiological status was evaluated using the Bland grade system. RESULTS: When the preoperative Bland grade was 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the range of the change of the symptom severity score was 1.38, 1.68, 2.40, 1.61 and 1.28, respectively, and the range of the change of the functional status score was 0.60, 1.34, 1.58, 0.93 and 0.88, respectively, at the long-term follow-up. The clinical symptoms were signifi cantly improved at the fi nal follow-up when the preoperative Bland grade was 2, 3, 4 and 5. The function was signifi cantly improved for all the preoperative Bland grades. On the nerve electrophysiological study, there was statistical improvement of the distal motor latency of the motor nerve and the nerve conduction velocity and amplitude of the sensory nerve. When the preoperative Bland grade was 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the extent of improved grade was 0.60, 0.75, 2.17, 2.87 and 4.25, respectively, at the long-term follow-up, and the Bland grade was signifi cantly improved when the preoperative Bland grade was 3, 4, 5 and 6. However, there was no statistical signifi cance between the Bland grade and the clinical state at the long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: The clinical and nerve electrophysiological states were significantly improved at the long-term follow-up after endoscopic carpal tunnel release. When the preoperative Bland grade was 3, 4 and 5, the clinical symptoms, function and the nerve electrophysiological states were signifi cantly improved at the long-term follow-up.

Responsiveness of the Korean Version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (K-DASH) after Carpal Tunnel Release

BACKGROUND: The Korean version of the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (K-DASH) was recently validated, but its responsiveness, which is the degree to which an instrument is sensitive to change, has not been thoroughly evaluated in a specific condition in Koreans. We evaluated the responsiveness of the K-DASH in a homogenous cohort of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and we compared it with that of the disease-specific Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (CTQ). METHODS: Fifty-six patients with CTS prospectively completed the K-DASH and CTQ before and 6 months after surgery. The responsiveness statistics were assessed for both the K-DASH and CTQ by using the standardized response mean (SRM) and the effect size (ES). Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between the K-DASH and CTQ. RESULTS: The SRM and ES of the K-DASH were all 0.8. The SRM of the symptom and function part of the CTQ was 1.5 and 1.1, and the ES was 1.5 and 1.1, respectively. The K-DASH had moderate correlations with the symptom and function parts of the CTQs, but the postoperative K-DASH had a weak correlation with the symptom part of the postoperative CTQ. CONCLUSIONS: The K-DASH was found to have a large degree of responsiveness (SRM, ES > or = 0.8) after carpal tunnel release in Korean patients with CTS, which is comparable to the other language versions of the DASH. Although it was less responsive than the CTQ, which is disease-specific, the region-specific K-DASH can be used as an effective outcome measurement tool for CTS, and especially for research that compares CTS with other upper limb conditions.