Association between excessive smartphone use and cervical disc degeneration in young patients suffering from chronic neck pain

Background: With the popularity of smartphones, cervical spondylosis is becoming more and more common among young people. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between excessive smartphone use and cervical disc degeneration in young patients suffering from chronic neck pain. Methods: A total of 2438 young patients suffering from chronic neck pain were included into this study. All patients underwent the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination of the cervical spine. The degree of cervical disc degeneration, the dependent variable, was evaluated by Cervical Disc Degeneration Scale (CDDS) which was developed from Pfirrmann classification. Smartphone use, the primary independent variable, was assessed by Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). Results: In all, 52.9% patients were categorized as smartphone overuse. Patients with overuse of smartphones had higher CDDS scores than those who did not use smartphone excessively. Conclusions: The results indicate that cervical disc degeneration may be associated with excessive smartphone use, such use may lead to cervical spondylosis. (C) 2020 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study found a potential association between excessive smartphone use and cervical disc degeneration, increasing the risk of cervical spondylosis among young patients suffering from chronic neck pain.