TikTok Videos on the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Have Low Educational Quality and Reliability.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine Tor Vergata University of Rome Rome Italy.
- 2Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology Vito Fazzi Hospital Lecce Italy.
- 3Department of Medicine and Health "Vincenzo Tiberio" University of Molise Campobasso Italy.
- 4Department of Experimental Medicine (Di.Me.S.) University of Salento Lecce Italy.
- 5Infradepartmental University Program of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, "V. Fazzi" Hospital Lecce Italy.
Abstract
Purpose
To assess the quality, reliability, and engagement of TikTok videos addressing the material about medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL).Methods
Between November 2 and 24, 2024, a comprehensive search of the TikTok platform was performed using both keyword-based search ("MPFL," "medial patellofemoral ligament") and hashtag-based search (#MPFL) to maximize content capture. Videos were included if they addressed the MPFL with respect to anatomy, injury mechanism, clinical evaluation, surgical management, or rehabilitation. Each video was independently assessed using the DISCERN instrument, Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria, Global Quality Scale, and Patient Education and Decision Support Score. Video characteristics, including duration, number of views, likes, shares, and shares, were recorded, and correlations between engagement metrics and quality scores were analyzed.Results
Of 100 videos analyzed, 9% were posted by medical doctors, 3% by physiotherapists, and 88% by private users. Most videos focused on personal experience, representing 74% of the information type and 80% of the content type. The mean scores of DISCERN, Journal of the American Medical Association, Global Quality Scale, and Patient Education and Decision Support Score were 16.25 ± 4.07, 0.1 ± 0.4, 1.1 ± 0.5, and 0.6 ± 1.88, respectively. Videos uploaded by medical professionals achieved significantly higher quality scores across all metrics (P < .001). No significant differences were observed between physicians and physiotherapists (P = .173). Engagement metrics (views, likes, shares) showed moderate positive correlations with DISCERN (r = 0.31) and Patient Education and Decision Support Score (r = 0.39), whereas video duration showed no correlation with any quality index.Conclusions
TikTok videos related to the MPFL show low educational quality and limited reliability, with the most content produced by nonmedical users. Videos uploaded by health care professionals achieved significantly higher quality scores across all evaluated assessment tools.Clinical relevance
Patients with MPFL pathology frequently seek medical information on social media platforms. Awareness of the limited educational quality and reliability of MPFL-related content on TikTok may help clinicians better counsel patients regarding online health information.
Related
- Evaluating the reliability and quality of rheumatoid arthritis educational content on TikTok and Bilibili: a cross-sectional content analysis
- The quality and reliability of short videos about muscle strain on Bilibili and TikTok: Cross-sectional study.
- The quality and reliability of short videos about myocarditis on Bilibili and TikTok: cross-sectional study.
- The quality and reliability of short videos about diabetic foot on TikTok and Bilibili: a cross-sectional study
- The Boston All‐in‐One Medial Patellofemoral Complex Reconstruction: A Combined Medial Patellofemoral Ligament and Medial Quadriceps Tendon Femoral Ligament Dynamic Tensioning Technique Using Allograft
BibTeX
@article{conteduca2026tiktok,
title = {{TikTok Videos on the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Have Low Educational Quality and Reliability.}},
author = {Jacopo Conteduca and Fabrizio Brindisino and Alberto Casto and Luigi Valentino and Angelo Scrimitore and Andrea Bernetti and Giuseppe Rollo},
journal = {Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ars2.70137},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948805},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - TikTok Videos on the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Have Low Educational Quality and Reliability.
AU - Jacopo Conteduca
AU - Fabrizio Brindisino
AU - Alberto Casto
AU - Luigi Valentino
AU - Angelo Scrimitore
AU - Andrea Bernetti
AU - Giuseppe Rollo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation
DO - 10.1002/ars2.70137
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948805
AB - Purpose To assess the quality, reliability, and engagement of TikTok videos addressing the material about medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL).Methods Between November 2 and 24, 2024, a comprehensive search of the TikTok platform was performed using both keyword-based search ("MPFL," "medial patellofemoral ligament") and hashtag-based search (#MPFL) to maximize content capture. Videos were included if they addressed the MPFL with respect to anatomy, injury mechanism, clinical evaluation, surgical management, or rehabilitation. Each video was independently assessed using the DISCERN instrument, Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria, Global Quality Scale, and Patient Education and Decision Support Score. Video characteristics, including duration, number of views, likes, shares, and shares, were recorded, and correlations between engagement metrics and quality scores were analyzed.Results Of 100 videos analyzed, 9% were posted by medical doctors, 3% by physiotherapists, and 88% by private users. Most videos focused on personal experience, representing 74% of the information type and 80% of the content type. The mean scores of DISCERN, Journal of the American Medical Association, Global Quality Scale, and Patient Education and Decision Support Score were 16.25 ± 4.07, 0.1 ± 0.4, 1.1 ± 0.5, and 0.6 ± 1.88, respectively. Videos uploaded by medical professionals achieved significantly higher quality scores across all metrics (P < .001). No significant differences were observed between physicians and physiotherapists (P = .173). Engagement metrics (views, likes, shares) showed moderate positive correlations with DISCERN (r = 0.31) and Patient Education and Decision Support Score (r = 0.39), whereas video duration showed no correlation with any quality index.Conclusions TikTok videos related to the MPFL show low educational quality and limited reliability, with the most content produced by nonmedical users. Videos uploaded by health care professionals achieved significantly higher quality scores across all evaluated assessment tools.Clinical relevance Patients with MPFL pathology frequently seek medical information on social media platforms. Awareness of the limited educational quality and reliability of MPFL-related content on TikTok may help clinicians better counsel patients regarding online health information.
SN - 2666-061X
ER -