What Do Patients Encounter When Searching Online About Meniscal Surgery? An Analysis of Internet Trends.

BACKGROUND

Many patients use the internet to learn about their orthopaedic conditions and find answers to their common questions. However, the sources and quality of information available to patients regarding meniscal surgery have not been fully evaluated.

PURPOSE

To determine the most frequently searched questions associated with meniscal surgery based on question type and topic, as well as to assess the website source type and quality.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

The following search terms were entered into a web search (www.google.com) using a clean-install browser: "meniscal tear,""meniscus repair,""meniscectomy,""knee scope,""meniscus surgery," and "knee arthroscopy." The Rothwell classification system was used to categorize questions and sort them into 1 of 13 topics relevant to meniscal surgery. Websites were also categorized by source into groups. The () benchmark criteria (medians and interquartile ranges [IQRs]) were used to measure website quality.

RESULTS

A total of 337 unique questions associated with 234 websites were extracted and categorized. The most popular questions were "What is the fastest way to recover from meniscus surgery?" and "What happens if a meniscus tear is left untreated?" Academic websites were associated more commonly with diagnosis questions (41.9%,  < .01). Commercial websites were associated more commonly with cost (71.4%,  = .03) and management (47.6%,  = .02). Government websites addressed a higher proportion of questions regarding timeline of recovery (22.2%,  < .01). Websites associated with medical practices were associated more commonly with risks/complications (43.8%,  = .01) while websites associated with single surgeons were associated more commonly with pain (19.4%,  = .03). Commercial and academic websites had the highest median benchmark scores (4 [IQR, 3-4] and 3 [IQR, 2-4], respectively) while websites associated with a single surgeon or categorized as "other" had the lowest scores (1 [IQR 1-2] and 1 [IQR 1-1.5], respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our study found that the most common questions regarding meniscal surgery were associated with diagnosis of meniscal injury, followed by activities and restrictions after meniscal surgery. Academic websites were associated significantly with diagnosis questions. The highest quality websites were commercial and academic websites.