Internet resources for spine surgeons

To classify web sites on common spinal disorders as to their utility for th e spine surgeon and patient. Five common spinal disorders were used to gene rate lists of relevant sites. These sites were categorized as to their rele vance for patients and surgeons, their sponsoring organization, and their c omprehensiveness. A total of 56,249 web sites were found using the five key words on five search engines. Using the "And" operator, a total of 227 web sites were generated. The majority of sites were patient oriented. Physici an- or organization-sponsored sites were the most common. Ten sites were fo und to have comprehensive information for both patients and spine surgeons. Many web sites exist that discuss disorders of the spine. Currently there is not any one web site that contains comprehensive information for both th e spine surgeon and patient.