ArticleBrain & spine2026
Swipe, watch, learn? An analysis of TikTok as a source of patient education on spondylolisthesis.
Article in Brain & spine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Social media has become a major source of health information. TikTok, a rapidly expanding global platform that enables broad dissemination of medical content, yet the accuracy and reliability of such information remain uncertain. In this context, assessing the educational quality of videos on spondylolisthesis is of increasing clinical relevance. Research question: To evaluate the quality, reliability, and educational value of TikTok videos on spondylolisthesis and identify factors associated with higher-quality content. Material and methods: TikTok was searched in August 2025 using the keyword "spondylolisthesis." Video metrics, uploader type and content category were recorded. Two orthopedic surgeons independently assessed reliability and quality using the DISCERN tool, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and Global Quality Score (GQS). Results: A total of 254 TikTok videos were screened, of which 82 met inclusion criteria, totaling 4.15 million views and 55,967 likes. Private users uploaded 46.3%, surgeons 28.0%, physiotherapists 23.2%, and researchers 2.4%. Overall quality was poor (DISCERN 34.1 ± 17.6; JAMA 1.8 ± 1.1; GQS 2.6 ± 1.1). Videos by surgeons and physiotherapists scored significantly higher (p < 0.001), and educational content outperformed patient experiences (p < 0.001). Longer videos correlated with higher quality scores, while engagement metrics were not predictive. Discussion and conclusion: Most TikTok videos on spondylolisthesis showed low quality and limited reliability. Educational content produced by healthcare professionals performed better, while popularity metrics were not indicative of quality. Spine specialists should recognize TikTok's growing role in patient education and contribute accurate, evidence-based content to improve information quality.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.