Increasing Patient Interest in Meniscus Surgery During Last 15 Years With Pain and Recovery Being Most Frequently Searched Topics Online

Purpose To use Google Trends to study whether public interest in meniscus surgery has increased during the last 15 years and after the COVID‐19 pandemic, and to determine what specific topics regarding meniscus surgery the public is interested in. Methods A longitudinal observational study was conducted between January 2010 and December 2024 on public interest in meniscus surgery utilizing Google Trends. Through establishing a focus group comprising two attending orthopaedic surgeons (sports‐medicine fellowship trained), one orthopaedic surgery resident, and three medical students, and using ChatGPT, the 50 most commonly searched questions regarding meniscus surgery were identified. The mean relative search volume (RSV) was identified and compared for 50 search terms. RSV extends from 0 to 100, with 0 representing no public interest, and 100 representing maximal public interest. Analysis of variance tests compared means. Statistical significance was set at a P value less than .05. Results Between 2010 and 2024, the mean RSV for “meniscus surgery” increased significantly (2010: 40; 2024: 89; P < .001), after a transient decline during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Among 50 topics regarding meniscus surgery, “recovery” and “pain” had the highest mean RSVs, while other topics including “arthroscopic meniscus surgery”, “cost”, “how long does meniscus surgery take”, “therapy”, “brace”, “rehab”, “swelling”, and “arthritis” were also commonly searched (60 vs 25 vs 15 vs 9 vs 9 vs 6 vs 6 vs 5 vs 4 vs 2; P < .001). Conclusions Patient interest in meniscus surgery has increased significantly during the past 15 years, and rebounded after the COVID‐19 pandemic. Patients have interest in many topics regarding meniscus surgery, including recovery, pain, surgical length, cost, postoperative therapy, braces, and post‐traumatic arthritis. Clinical Relevance This study showed that public interest in meniscus surgery has increased significantly in the last 15 years, and the various topics that are important to patients, as identified in this study, should be included in patient education materials.