ABSTRACT
Purpose@#Ankle sprains are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries, and many videos have been shared with patients through YouTube. YouTube allows the easy sharing of information, but there are accuracy and reliability issues due to the lack of verification processes for video producers. This study evaluated ankle sprain videos on YouTube and the correlation between the video scores and viewer preferences using “the number of likes and views”. @*Materials and Methods@#For analysis, the words “ankle sprains”, “ankle exercise”, and “ankle rehabilitation” were searched on YouTube. Only videos taken in Korean were analyzed, and videos with less than 10,000 views and for commercial purposes were excluded. For 31 videos, two orthopedic surgeons and one orthopedic resident used one evaluation tool to evaluate the video quality with up to 30 points for subcategories. The scores between each evaluator were then averaged to evaluate the video quality. To reflect the viewer preferences, “the number of likes and views” were analyzed, and the relationship between the video score and “the number of likes and views” of the video was analyzed statistically. @*Results@#The average score for the video was 9.33. The average scores for subcategories were anatomy and symptoms, 0.90; biomechanics and trauma-mechanism, 0.61; imaging quality, 0.95; clinical evaluation and physical examination, 0.61; treatment, 1.41; rehabilitation, 2.39; prevention and after effects, 0.89; and overall video quality, 1.61. The average of “the number of views” was 50,218.35 times, and “the number of likes” was 893.77 times. No correlation was observed between the video scores and “the number of likes and views”. @*Conclusion@#Most videos posted on YouTube did not provide high-quality medical information on ankle sprain, and there was no correlation between the video scores and viewer preferences. This suggests that incorrect medical information is being transmitted to patients, which can be harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to present the latest trend treatment and rehabilitation protocols for ankle sprains in an expert council and promote it through various channels.