Abstract
BackgroundInternet chat rooms played an important role in the late 1990s promoting the Ponseti method as the preferred initial treatment for congenital clubfoot. The social media boom has created multiple new methods for caregivers to seek support from a global community using a variety of platforms that are now easily available. This study assesses the reach of information shared across social media platforms about congenital clubfoot and analyzes topics most commonly discussed among members in these groups.MethodologyPosts and pages across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok were evaluated to identify the top clubfoot-related hashtags and accounts. In addition, content themes were analyzed for posts across all platforms.ResultsThere were 122 clubfoot-focused Facebook groups for parent support, and the five Facebook groups with the highest number of posts during the study period were found to frequently discuss the following topics: successful treatment stories, questions about casting, bracing, relapse, and commercial items compatible with clubfoot treatment. Twitter pages contained information about live webinars, educational resources for parents and providers, and the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on clubfoot treatment. A search across visual platforms using “#clubfoot” yielded over 59,000 cumulative posts on Instagram and over 34.7 million total views on TikTok.ConclusionsParents of clubfoot patients are increasingly connecting through digital social media platforms, relying on them for information on clubfoot, and utilizing them as a network for social support. Clubfoot physicians should be aware of this content on social media to promote education and discussion that addresses parent concerns, provides accurate information, and guides expectations.
Highlights
Ignacio Ponseti, M.D. developed a method for the treatment of congenital clubfoot at the University of Iowa in the late 1940s [1]
Parents of clubfoot patients are increasingly connecting through digital social media platforms, relying on them for information on clubfoot, and utilizing them as a network for social support
Clubfoot physicians should be aware of this content on social media to promote education and discussion that addresses parent concerns, provides accurate information, and guides expectations
Summary
Ignacio Ponseti, M.D. developed a method for the treatment of congenital clubfoot at the University of Iowa in the late 1940s [1] This method consisted of serial manipulations and plaster casts usually with tendoAchilles tenotomy to achieve initial correction of the deformity, followed by splinting to maintain proper foot positioning. The goal was to avoid joint release surgeries, and he published excellent results of his method in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) in 1963 [2]. Further refinements of his method, including management of clubfoot relapse, were published over the ensuing years in a 1980 JBJS publication detailing excellent correction sustained with longer follow-up [3]. This study assesses the reach of information shared across social media platforms about congenital clubfoot and analyzes topics most commonly discussed among members in these groups
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