Accuracy of internet images of ligamentous knee injuries

AbstractBackground: The internet is an easily accessible resource for both providers and patients. Despite this, the internet is not peer reviewed, leaving searches subject to inaccuracies, especially with regards to medical information. The purpose of this study was to review internet images of ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL tears using two popular search engines: Google and Bing.Methods: A search query was performed on both Google and Bing for the following terms: “ACL tear”, “PCL tear”, “MCL tear” and “LCL tear”. The first 100 images of each individual search were analyzed by three independent orthopedists.Results: The inter-rater reliability was very good for PCL tear on Bing (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89) and excellent (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.9) for the remainder of the search queries. When comparing Google to Bing, the only significant difference occurred in the ACL group, with Bing returning a significantly greater number of correct images 60%, 95% CI: 53.2 – 66.7%) compared to Google (45% correct, 95% CI: 38.1-51...