Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?

Question

This article claims that cracking your knuckles does not cause Arthritis but instead it is the pressure applied to knuckles "causes vapor pockets" within the fluid inside the joints. This then "creates a vacuum that sucks the joint apart rapidly," causing a popping sound in the knuckles.

Comments

This is interesting because I've always been told that if I keep continuing to crack my knuckles, I would get arthritis. Considering that your source is from a medicine website, that would seem to be fairly accurate. Although cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis, it does cause osteoarthritis, which is when the cartilage flakes off. So in some sense, there is damage being caused to the knuckles, it just may not be arthritis.

Answer 1

After reviewing various sources, such as Harvard Medical, National Library of Medicine, and Northwestern Medicine, the overall consensus is that cracking your knuckles is not a cause of arthritis. According to a mathematical model created by V. Chandran Suja, a Harvard University postdoctoral researcher, and his colleague, A.I. Barakat, cracking one's knuckles is a result of a release of cavitation bubbles in the synovial fluid as the source of the sound. The National Library of Medicine also conducted a study regarding those who are habitual knuckle crackers and those who are not. After the study was conducted, it was found that those who cracked their knuckles regularly had the same incidence of arthritis as those who did not crack their knuckles regularly, showing that there was not an increased prevalence. Instead, another study did find that those who habitually cracked their knuckles did have reduced grip strength and more dominant hand swelling, however, not a direct link to having arthritis. The initial article mentions, "There are several types of arthritis, but knuckle-cracking is most commonly associated with osteoarthritis." However, this is misleading as shows in research for both groups that they have the same incidences and prevalence of arthritis present. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22664-4.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1004074/pdf/annrheumd00439-0036.pdf

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis

Comments

Your answer of exaggerated/misleading is a great answer to this original claim. People can find high trust and reliability in this because of your highly detailed analysis and effort taken into seriously considering all aspects related to the original claim. The usage and reference of three different source materials with information related to this, with two from highly reputable entities, all help in finding more into the answer and seeing where the claim becomes exaggerated/misleading. Consumers of media and news thus can see how easy it is for claims to become this way thanks to a little effort in checking and cross-referencing multiple sources of information that all have something to add in weighing on different discussions.

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This is very good fact check. I love how you went in depth and explained your sources. I also like how you stated your sources and I think your answer of exaggerated/misleading is a very good answer.

Answer 2

After researching on WebMD, I have come to the conclusion that cracking your knuckles is not harmful, nor is it a direct cause of arthritis. Cracking ones knuckles is the result of "negative pressure pulling nitrogen gas temporarily into the joints". This action is not harmful, and not correlated to arthritis as well. However if there is a pain when cracking your knuckles, there could be a larger underlying problem. https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/joint-cracking-osteoarthritis