Upper Extremity ProblemNCT06373315
The Effect of Smartphone and Hand Anthropometry on Pain and Upper Extremity Functions
An observational study of Upper Extremity Problem and Smartphone Addiction, run by Nigde Omer Halisdemir University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Mobile phones have different uses in different disciplines, and this encourages long-term use. For optimum comfort use, it is important to ensure users' awareness when purchasing mobile phones that match their hand sizes. The number of studies in the literature on this subject is limited. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 17 to 63 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Upper Extremity Problem, Smartphone Addiction
- How many people
- 435 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 13 May 2024to 30 Sep 2024
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 17 to 63 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Study population: Volunteer participants include students and staff studying in different departments at the university.
Who may be able to join
- Sending at least 5 e-mails or text messages a day from your mobile phone,
- Using a smartphone for more than 1 hour a day to play games or browse the internet
Who cannot join
- Having an existing injury in the hand or upper extremity (suffered 6 months ago)
- Having been diagnosed with a degenerative, inflammatory, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, or congenital disorder of the hand or upper extremity.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Bor Faculty of Health Sciences
Niğde, Niğde Province, 51700
About this study
Mobile phones have different uses in different disciplines, and this encourages long-term use. For optimum comfort use, it is important to ensure users' awareness when purchasing mobile phones that match their hand sizes. The number of studies in the literature on this subject is limited. In this context, the aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between smartphone and hand anthropometry measurements and upper extremity pain and functions.
Read the detailed description
Phone design features cause different problems on body mechanics and musculoskeletal system. With the use of smartphones, people tend to maintain incorrect postures for long periods of time, which increases tension in the body. This situation causes complaints such as cervical disc herniation, tingling complaints in different body parts, overuse injuries, Upper Crosses syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome. On the other hand, the use of smartphones is increasing among students for reasons such as providing students with freedom of time and space, increasing the speed of teaching and learning, supporting one-on-one learning, and increasing the number of ideas produced by encouraging a group discussion environment.
Mobile phones have different uses in different disciplines, and this encourages long-term use. Although many musculoskeletal system structures can be affected by incorrect postures due to the long-term use of smart mobile phones, it is thought that the upper extremity is most affected. Therefore, the aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between smartphone dimensions and hand anthropometric measurements and upper extremity pain and functions in order to raise awareness when purchasing mobile phones that match users' hand sizes for optimum comfort and use.
- Conditions
- Upper Extremity Problem, Smartphone Addiction
- Keywords
- Anthropometric Measurements, Upper Extremity, Smartphone
- Medical subject headings
- Internet Addiction Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Sample of Study | Volunteer participants who constitute the study sample include students and staff studying in different departments at the university. Inclusion criteria; It includes using a smartphone for more than 1 hour a day to send at least 5 emails or text messages a day, play games or browse the internet. Exclusion criteria; It includes students who have an existing injury to the hand or upper extremity (6 months ago) and who have been diagnosed with degenerative, inflammatory, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and congenital disorders of the hand or upper extremity that affect their use in daily life. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Hand anthropometric measurements: Hand length
It is the longitudinal distance in centimeters from the midpoint of the distance from the most distal styloid process of the radius to the most distal styloid process of the ulna to the tip of the 3rd finger. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Measured: 2 month
Hand anthropometric measurements: Palm length
It is the longitudinal distance in centimeters between the midpoint of the wrist crease and the highest point of the 3rd Metacarpal head. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Measured: 2 month
Hand anthropometric measurements: Width of the hand (Metacarpal)
It is the longitudinal distance in centimeters between the base of the 2nd Metacarpal bone and the base of the 5th Metacarpal bone. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Measured: 2 month
Hand anthropometric measurements: Maximum hand spread measurement
It is the longest distance in centimeters from the thumb to the tip of the 5th finger when your hand is open. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Measured: 2 month
Gross grip strength measurement
Grip strength will be measured in Newton using a Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Standard grip strength testing position recommended by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT); Participants will sit upright on the back of a chair without armrests with their feet flat on the floor, shoulder in adduction and neutral rotation, elbow in 90 degree flexion, forearm in neutral, wrist in slight extension and (0-150) degree ulnar deviation. It will be measured 3 times, and a 1-minute rest break will be given between each trial. The average of 3 attempts will be calculated for each hand.
Measured: 2 month
Pinch grip strength
Measurement of pinch grip strength in Newton will be performed with a digital pinchmeter. Pinch grip strength test position recommended by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT); Participants will sit upright on the back of a chair without armrests with their feet flat on the floor, shoulder adduction and neutral rotation, elbow 90 degree flexion, forearm neutral, wrist slightly extended and (0-150) degree ulnar deviation. It will be measured 3 times, and a 1-minute rest break will be given between each trial. The average of 3 attempts will be calculated for each hand.
Measured: 2 month
Measurement of phone dimensions
The size of the touch screen will be measured in inches diagonally from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner (6). iPhone 5 models from Apple and 6 models from Samsung Galaxy, Realme, Xiaomi Redmi, Oppo, Huawei, Infinix, Reeder and other touch screen phones will be used. Screen dimensions will be measured using a standard ruler 30 cm diagonally across the screen (3). According to screen size, mobile phones will be grouped into small, medium and large phone sizes as shown in Table 2.
Measured: 2 month
Upper extremity functional status assessment
Quick-DASH is an evaluation questionnaire that measures activity and participation limitations in all upper extremity disorders. In the survey, patients' difficulties during daily living activities are questioned with 11 questions. Each answer is scored on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, from best to worst. There are also optionally completed Business Model (DASH-W) sections consisting of 4 questions and Sports and Musicians Model (DASH-SM) sections consisting of 4 questions. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire in Turkish was determined by Düger et al. made by. The total score for the first section consisting of 30 questions varies between 0 and 100. The total score for the second part ranges from 0 to 100. For the third part, which evaluates high performance sports, the total score varies between 0 and 100. An increase in the score in the survey indicates a decrease in functionality.
Measured: 2 month
Secondary outcomes (2)
Pain assessment
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Standard 10 centimeters VAS (0 = "no pain", 10 = "unbearable pain") was used to determine the pain levels of the volunteers participating in the study.
Measured: 2 month
Smartphone addiction
In our study, the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Form, whose Turkish adaptation is valid and reliable, will be used to measure the smartphone addiction of the participants. The total number of items of this single-factor scale is 10. The scale is evaluated with a six-point Likert-type scale, and each item is scored from one (strongly disagree) to six (strongly agree). The lowest score that can be obtained from this scale is 10 and the highest score is 60. The cut-off value for the scale was found to be 31 points for men and 33 points for women. High scores from the scale indicate an increased risk of smartphone addiction.
Measured: 2 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Apr 2024
- Study start13 May 2024
- Primary completion30 Sep 2024
- Study completion30 Sep 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Upper Extremity ProblemStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 435 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Nigde Omer Halisdemir University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Feyza Altindal Karabulut, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University
- Investigators
- Altindal Karabulut, Asst. Prof., Principal investigator, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir UniversityNihal BUKER, Prof., Study chair, Pamukkale University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06373315
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023/11-18
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 2 Apr 2024
- Last updated
- 26 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Kamel DM, Hakeem CA, Tantawy SA. Influence of hand and smartphone anthropometric measurements on hand pain and discomfort: A cross-sectional study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Mar;99(11):e19513. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000019513.
PubMed 32176099Werle S, Goldhahn J, Drerup S, Simmen BR, Sprott H, Herren DB. Age- and gender-specific normative data of grip and pinch strength in a healthy adult Swiss population. J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2009 Feb;34(1):76-84. doi: 10.1177/1753193408096763. Epub 2009 Jan 7.
PubMed 19129352Karabulut FA, Yildiz NN, Buker N. Effects of Smartphone and Hand Anthropometry on Upper Extremity Pain and Functions: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study. Musculoskeletal Care. 2026 Mar;24(1):e70188. doi: 10.1002/msc.70188.
PubMed 41741395
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Smartphone and Hand Anthropometry on Pain and Upper Extremity Functions
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06373315
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2023/11-18
- Conditions
- Upper Extremity Problem, Smartphone Addiction
- Keywords
- Anthropometric Measurements, Upper Extremity, Smartphone
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 435 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Nigde Omer Halisdemir UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 13 May 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Mobile phones have different uses in different disciplines, and this encourages long-term use. For optimum comfort use, it is important to ensure users' awareness when purchasing mobile phones that match their hand sizes. The number of studies in the literature on this subject is limited. In this context, the aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between smartphone and hand anthropometry measurements and upper extremity pain and functions.
Detailed description
Phone design features cause different problems on body mechanics and musculoskeletal system. With the use of smartphones, people tend to maintain incorrect postures for long periods of time, which increases tension in the body. This situation causes complaints such as cervical disc herniation, tingling complaints in different body parts, overuse injuries, Upper Crosses syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome. On the other hand, the use of smartphones is increasing among students for reasons such as providing students with freedom of time and space, increasing the speed of teaching and learning, supporting one-on-one learning, and increasing the number of ideas produced by encouraging a group discussion environment.
Mobile phones have different uses in different disciplines, and this encourages long-term use. Although many musculoskeletal system structures can be affected by incorrect postures due to the long-term use of smart mobile phones, it is thought that the upper extremity is most affected. Therefore, the aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between smartphone dimensions and hand anthropometric measurements and upper extremity pain and functions in order to raise awareness when purchasing mobile phones that match users' hand sizes for optimum comfort and use.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Sample of Study | – | –Volunteer participants who constitute the study sample include students and staff studying in different departments at the university. Inclusion criteria; It includes using a smartphone for more than 1 hour a day to send at least 5 emails or text messages a day, play games or browse the internet. Exclusion criteria; It includes students who have an existing injury to the hand or upper extremity (6 months ago) and who have been diagnosed with degenerative, inflammatory, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and congenital disorders of the hand or upper extremity that affect their use in daily life. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 17 to 63 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
- Study population
- Volunteer participants include students and staff studying in different departments at the university.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Sending at least 5 e-mails or text messages a day from your mobile phone,
- Using a smartphone for more than 1 hour a day to play games or browse the internet
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Having an existing injury in the hand or upper extremity (suffered 6 months ago)
- Having been diagnosed with a degenerative, inflammatory, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, or congenital disorder of the hand or upper extremity.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Hand anthropometric measurements: Hand length
Time frame: 2 month
It is the longitudinal distance in centimeters from the midpoint of the distance from the most distal styloid process of the radius to the most distal styloid process of the ulna to the tip of the 3rd finger. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Hand anthropometric measurements: Palm length
Time frame: 2 month
It is the longitudinal distance in centimeters between the midpoint of the wrist crease and the highest point of the 3rd Metacarpal head. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Hand anthropometric measurements: Width of the hand (Metacarpal)
Time frame: 2 month
It is the longitudinal distance in centimeters between the base of the 2nd Metacarpal bone and the base of the 5th Metacarpal bone. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Hand anthropometric measurements: Maximum hand spread measurement
Time frame: 2 month
It is the longest distance in centimeters from the thumb to the tip of the 5th finger when your hand is open. Measurements will be made with the participants sitting on a chair, with their hands held on a horizontal platform. While the fingers are kept as close to each other as possible in all measurements, participants will be asked to open their hands as much as they can only in the maximum hand spread measurement.
Gross grip strength measurement
Time frame: 2 month
Grip strength will be measured in Newton using a Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Standard grip strength testing position recommended by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT); Participants will sit upright on the back of a chair without armrests with their feet flat on the floor, shoulder in adduction and neutral rotation, elbow in 90 degree flexion, forearm in neutral, wrist in slight extension and (0-150) degree ulnar deviation. It will be measured 3 times, and a 1-minute rest break will be given between each trial. The average of 3 attempts will be calculated for each hand.
Pinch grip strength
Time frame: 2 month
Measurement of pinch grip strength in Newton will be performed with a digital pinchmeter. Pinch grip strength test position recommended by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT); Participants will sit upright on the back of a chair without armrests with their feet flat on the floor, shoulder adduction and neutral rotation, elbow 90 degree flexion, forearm neutral, wrist slightly extended and (0-150) degree ulnar deviation. It will be measured 3 times, and a 1-minute rest break will be given between each trial. The average of 3 attempts will be calculated for each hand.
Measurement of phone dimensions
Time frame: 2 month
The size of the touch screen will be measured in inches diagonally from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner (6). iPhone 5 models from Apple and 6 models from Samsung Galaxy, Realme, Xiaomi Redmi, Oppo, Huawei, Infinix, Reeder and other touch screen phones will be used. Screen dimensions will be measured using a standard ruler 30 cm diagonally across the screen (3). According to screen size, mobile phones will be grouped into small, medium and large phone sizes as shown in Table 2.
Upper extremity functional status assessment
Time frame: 2 month
Quick-DASH is an evaluation questionnaire that measures activity and participation limitations in all upper extremity disorders. In the survey, patients' difficulties during daily living activities are questioned with 11 questions. Each answer is scored on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, from best to worst. There are also optionally completed Business Model (DASH-W) sections consisting of 4 questions and Sports and Musicians Model (DASH-SM) sections consisting of 4 questions. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire in Turkish was determined by Düger et al. made by. The total score for the first section consisting of 30 questions varies between 0 and 100. The total score for the second part ranges from 0 to 100. For the third part, which evaluates high performance sports, the total score varies between 0 and 100. An increase in the score in the survey indicates a decrease in functionality.
2 secondary outcomes
Pain assessment
Time frame: 2 month
Smartphone addiction
Time frame: 2 month
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Jun 2025.
- Background: PubMed 32176099Kamel DM, Hakeem CA, Tantawy SA. Influence of hand and smartphone anthropometric measurements on hand pain and discomfort: A cross-sectional study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Mar;99(11):e19513. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000019513.
- Background: PubMed 19129352Werle S, Goldhahn J, Drerup S, Simmen BR, Sprott H, Herren DB. Age- and gender-specific normative data of grip and pinch strength in a healthy adult Swiss population. J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2009 Feb;34(1):76-84. doi: 10.1177/1753193408096763. Epub 2009 Jan 7.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41741395Karabulut FA, Yildiz NN, Buker N. Effects of Smartphone and Hand Anthropometry on Upper Extremity Pain and Functions: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study. Musculoskeletal Care. 2026 Mar;24(1):e70188. doi: 10.1002/msc.70188.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Altindal Karabulut, Asst. Prof. principal investigator
Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University
Nihal BUKER, Prof. study chair
Pamukkale University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Upper Extremity Problem and Smartphone Addiction, run by Nigde Omer Halisdemir University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Hand anthropometric measurements: Hand length (time frame: 2 month). The study lists 8 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06373315, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jun 2025.