Viewer Engagement Patterns in Advanced Procedural and Patient-Facing Orthopedic YouTube Videos: A Seven-Year...

IntroductionCreator-side analytics can characterize viewing behavior around surgical videos but cannot establish learning or educational quality. We compared advanced procedural and patient-facing videos from one orthopedic YouTube channel.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of cumulative video-level YouTube Studio metrics extracted on February 5, 2026, for videos published from June 2018 through February 4, 2026. One author classified videos using predefined title and metadata criteria. Co-primary outcomes were average view duration and video-attributed net subscriber change per 1,000 engaged views. Mann-Whitney U tests and rank-biserial correlations were used.ResultsAmong 262 included videos (175 advanced procedural; 87 patient-facing), advanced procedural videos were longer (median, 357 vs 60 seconds), had longer average view duration (107 vs 32 seconds), and had higher net subscriber change per 1,000 engaged views (8.04 vs 2.57; both p< .001). Patient-facing videos had higher average percentage viewed (61.16% vs 30.30%; p< .001). Post hoc sensitivity analyses preserved the direction and statistical significance of the comparative findings.ConclusionWithin this single channel, content type corresponded to distinct and consistent within-channel engagement patterns: advanced procedural videos sustained longer absolute viewing and greater net subscriber change per 1,000 engaged views, whereas patient-facing videos were watched more completely. Because absolute and proportional engagement diverged, these dimensions should be interpreted separately. These creator-side metrics show how different orthopedic video formats are watched and how video-attributed net subscriber change varies relative to engagement across formats, providing a single-channel behavioral reference rather than a measure of educational effectiveness or learning.