Summary microdiscectomy Instagram post content (N = 1500).
| Shared Content Characteristics | n (%) |
| Type of media | |
| Text | 15 (1.0) |
| Video + photo + text | 42 (2.8) |
| Video + text | 257 (17.1) |
| Photo + text | 1186 (79.1) |
| Original poster | |
| Patient | 1094 (72.9) |
| Family/friend of patient | 11 (0.7) |
| Spine surgeon or group | 353 (23.5) |
| Other health care professionals | 6 (0.4) |
| Physical therapist | 16 (1.1) |
| Hospital | 10 (0.7) |
| Industry | 10 (0.7) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 736 (49.1) |
| Female | 745 (49.7) |
| Not applicable | 19 (1.3) |
| Region | |
| Northeast | 64 (21.7) |
| Midwest | 38 (7.0) |
| South | 176 (27.8) |
| West | 307 (20.6) |
| Non-United States | 915 (23.0) |
| Phase of care | |
| Preoperative | 36 (4.3) |
| Postoperative | 1012 (67.5) |
| Perioperative (<1 wk before operation) | 55 (3.7) |
| Perioperative (<1 wk after operation) | 277 (18.5) |
| Nonoperative | 120 (8.0) |
| Depiction of post | |
| Article/poster/advertisement | 57 (3.8) |
| Clinic scene | 117 (7.8) |
| Operating room scene | 132 (8.8) |
| Imaging | 109 (7.3) |
| Surgical incision site | 26 (1.7) |
| Surgical technique | 16 (1.1) |
| Daily activity | 854 (56.9) |
| Work | 17 (1.1) |
| Sport | 65 (4.3) |
| Physical therapy | 43 (2.9) |
| Medication | 2 (0.1) |
| Other | 62 (4.1) |
| Caption primary reference | |
| Article/poster/advertisement | 60 (4.0) |
| Clinic scene | 46 (3.1) |
| Operating room scene | 102 (6.8) |
| Imaging | 95 (6.3) |
| Surgical site | 20 (1.3) |
| Surgical technique | 49 (3.3) |
| Return to daily activity | 908 (60.5) |
| Return to work | 16 (1.1) |
| Return to sport | 66 (4.4) |
| Physical therapy | 44 (2.9) |
| Medication | 5 (0.3) |
| Other | 89 (5.9) |
| Tone of post | |
| Positive | 1177 (78.5) |
| Negative | 34 (2.3) |
| Neutral | 289 (19.3) |
| Post satisfaction status with outcome | |
| Satisfaction | 690 (53.5) |
| Dissatisfaction | 12 (0.9) |