Tibial Shaft Fracture Information Online: Is it Going Tibia Okay?
Ethan Gilkinson1,2, Ben Murphy1,2, Niall McGoldrick1
1Department of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.
Indian Journal of Orthopaedics
|April 24, 2026
Summary
Online information on tibial shaft fractures (TSFs) is often too complex for patients to understand and lacks quality. Improving the accessibility and reliability of TSF patient education online is crucial for better health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Medical Informatics
- Health Communication
Background:
- Patients increasingly use online resources for health information.
- Accessibility of reliable health information is vital for patient understanding and adherence.
- Online patient education significantly impacts treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the readability and quality of online information regarding tibial shaft fractures (TSFs).
- To identify deficiencies in online TSF educational materials for patient comprehension.
- To inform strategies for improving online patient education resources.
Main Methods:
- Searched top 50 results from three major search engines for TSF information.
- Assessed webpage readability using Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), and Flesch-Kincaid Grade (FKG).
- Evaluated information quality using the DISCERN tool and Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria.
Main Results:
- 70% of 90 assessed websites had readability scores too high for the average patient.
- Only six websites met a sixth-grade reading level (GFI).
- Most websites failed JAMA criteria, and DISCERN scores indicated "fair" quality.
Conclusions:
- Online TSF information is generally of poor quality and written at an inaccessible reading level.
- There is a significant need to enhance the quality and readability of online TSF patient education.
- Improving online resources can lead to better patient understanding and improved health outcomes.
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