Musculoskeletal Disorders in 115 Students Due to Overuse of Electronic Devices: Risk Factors and Clinical Features

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are common in students, usually comprising of children, adolescents and young adults, ranging from 30% to 65%. The pathophysiology of MSD is multifactorial. The use of electronic devices (computer, electronic games, portable music players, electronic book readers, tablets and cell phones) has been reported as a risk factor associated with MSD. A total of 115 subjects between the age of 5 to 25 years were evaluated in the study. The evaluation and diagnosis were performed by a single orthopaedic and rehabilitation physician between the years of 2005 to 2017. 53% (n = 61) of the participants were males. The commonly used electronic devices were cell phone (80%), tablet (70%), laptop (65%), electronic games (54%), desktop computer (45%), portable music players (5%), and electronic book readers (2%). The commonest risk factors for MSD were identified as lack of rest breaks (85%), static loading (70%), hazardous body positions (60%), excessive load (30%), deficiency in design of tools/furniture or poor ergonomics (30%) and repetition (20%).