PURPOSE

To assess the validity and informational value of the material about the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) provided on TikTok.

METHODS

The terms "posterior cruciate ligament" and "PCL" were used as keywords for an extensive search of the video content on the TikTok video platform. The video duration and the numbers of likes, shares, saves, and views were recorded for each video. The quality and reliability assessments of the video content were conducted via the DISCERN instrument, benchmark criteria, and Global Quality Score.

RESULTS

A total of 48 videos were included in the analysis, of which 18 (37.5%) were posted by physiotherapists; 14 (29.2%), by private users; and 16 (33.3%), by medical doctors/doctors of osteopathic medicine. Most of the information concerned clinical examination (12-25%) or patient experience (12-25%). Video content was focused on education in 26 videos (54.2%), patient experience in 11 (22.9%), and rehabilitation in 11 (22.9%). Most of the videos used music as the background audio (29-60.4%). The mean length of the videos was 29.29 ± 26.95 seconds. The mean number of views was 565,863.02 ± 2,686,462.45, whereas the mean numbers of likes, comments, shares, and saves were 15,533.58 ± 73,143.51, 127.85 ± 671.49, 661.38 ± 3,049.96, and 1,473.90 ± 7,523.37, respectively. The mean DISCERN score, score, and Global Quality Score were 16.15 ± 2.53, 0.15 ± 0.36, and 1.08 ± 0.28, respectively, indicating the poorest quality for all 3 indices.

CONCLUSIONS

Videos about the PCL on the TikTok platform are not comprehensive and have low educational value.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Given the growing number of patients using social media to seek information about their medical concerns, it is crucial for orthopaedic health care practitioners to recognize the constraints of TikTok videos that focus on the PCL as possible sources of information for their patients.