The presence of altered craniocervical posture and mobility in smartphone-addicted teenagers with temporomandibular disorders

Abstract

[Purpose] Smartphones are widely used by teenagers and adults for various purposes. As teenagers use smartphones more actively than adults, they are more prone to be addicted to smartphones. Furthermore, excessive usage of smartphones can lead to various psychosocial and physical symptoms. [Subjects and Methods] One hundred teenage subjects were recruited and divided into normal and addiction groups, based on the criteria of the smartphone addiction scale-short version questionnaire. Craniocervical posture and mobility were examined by lateral cephalometric analysis and a cervical range of motion instrument. [Results] Cephalometric analysis showed no significant difference in the craniocervical angles of the resting positions of the two groups. However, measurement using an inclinometer revealed a significantly flexed cervical posture while using smartphones and decreased cervical range of motion in the smartphone-addicted teenagers. The clinical profile of temporomandibular disorders revealed that muscular problems were more frequently presented in the smartphone-addicted teenagers. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that smartphone addiction has a negative influence on craniocervical posture and mobility. Further, it can be postulated that smartphone addiction among teenagers may have contributed to the occurrence of myogenous temporomandibular disorders. In conclusion, smartphone-addicted teenagers may be more frequently subjected to muscular disturbance in the craniocervical area, which probably affects the pathologic process of temporomandibular disorders in teenagers.

Keywords: Craniocervical pain; Craniocervical posture; Smartphone addiction.

Fig. 1.

Cervical lordosis angle. cv2tg: tangent point of the superior, posterior extremity of the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra; cv4ip: the most inferior-posterior point on the body of the fourth cervical vertebra; cv6ip: the most inferior-posterior point on the body of the sixth cervical vertebra; CVT: upper part of cervical spine, line through cv2tg and cv4ip; EVT: lower part of the cervical spine, line through cv4ip and cv6ip; CVT/EVT: cervical lordosis angle, downward opening angle between the CVT and EVT lines.

Fig. 2.

Craniocervical angle. N: nasion point; S: sella point; cv2tg: tangent point of the superior, posterior extremity of the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra; cv2ip: the most inferior-posterior point on the body of the fourth cervical vertebra; cv4ip: the most inferior-posterior point on the body of the sixth cervical vertebra; NSL: nasion-sella line, line through N and S; OPT: odontoid line, line through cv2tg and cv2ip; CVT: upper part of the cervical spine, line through cv2tg and cv4ip; NSL/OPT: craniocervical angle, downward opening angle between the NSL and OPT lines; NSL/CVT: craniocervical angle, downward opening angle between the NSL and CVT lines.

Fig. 3.

A: Aligned cervical range of motion; B: Cervical lateral flexion; C: Cervical rotation; D: Cervical Flexion; E: Cervical Extension; F: Cervical protrusion.