Objective: Pes equinovarus is a common congenital foot deformity for which patients and families frequently seek information on social media platforms, such as YouTube. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the quality, reliability, and educational value of English- and Turkish-language YouTube videos related to pes equinovarus.
Materials and
Methods: On May 16, 2025, systematic searches were conducted on YouTube using standardized English (“clubfoot,” “congenital talipes equinovarus,” “talipes equinovarus”) and Turkish (“çarpık ayak,” “doğumsal çarpık ayak,” “talipes equinovarus”) terms. The first 150 videos for each language were screened according to pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After eliminating duplicates, non-relevant, or poor-quality content, 65 English and 51 Turkish videos were included. Video characteristics (duration, views, likes, source, content type) were recorded. Reliability and educational quality were assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, the global quality score (GQS), the DISCERN instrument, and a novel 20-item clubfoot-specific score (CSS). Assessments were independently performed by two pediatric orthopedic surgeons, with intra- and interobserver reliability tested.

Results: Turkish videos were more often uploaded by physicians (80% vs. 55%, p=0.04), whereas English videos were more frequently produced by research groups or patients/families. Turkish videos had fewer views and likes but demonstrated higher educational quality. Intra- and interobserver reliability was excellent for DISCERN, good for CSS, and moderate for JAMA and GQS. Correlation analysis showed strong positive associations between CSS and DISCERN (r=0.970, p<0.001), CSS and GQS (r=0.695, p<0.001), and a moderate correlation between CSS and JAMA (r=0.410, p=0.032).

Conclusion: The overall quality of YouTube videos on pes equinovarus remains low. Turkish-language content, despite lower popularity, demonstrated higher educational value, likely due to greater physician authorship. The CSS showed strong reliability and may serve as a useful tool for evaluating disease-specific online educational resources.