Table 2.
Mechanism of Cell Phone-Related Injuries of the Hand and Wrist in the United States Between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2020, by Incidence
| Injuries Related to Cell Phone Use | National Case Estimate N (%) |
|---|---|
| Total (2011–2020) | 50,487 (100) |
| Falls | 15,047 (29.8) |
| Broken phone∗ | 8,412 (16.7) |
| Texting | 7,124 (14.1) |
| Phone accessory–related† | 2,897 (5.7) |
| MCC or MVC while distracted on the phone | 2,117 (4.2) |
| Altercation over phone | 1,780 (3.5) |
| Cutting | 1,485 (2.9) |
| Gaming | 1,298 (2.6) |
| Burns (nonscalding) or explosion | 832 (1.6) |
| Bites and/or stings (animal, insect) | 333 (0.7) |
| Overuse of cell phone | 315 (0.6) |
| Burns (scalding) | 232 (0.5) |
| Other | 8615 (17.1) |
MCC, motorcycle crash; MVC, motor vehicle crash.
∗
Includes injuries occurring due to attempts made to fix a broken phone.
†
Includes injuries occurring as a result of exposure to a cell phone accessory (eg, charging device or phone case) or attempted repair thereof, rather than an injury resulting directly from the association with a cell phone.