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Scientists based out of the University of Alberta have -- for the first time -- imaged a joint cracking in real time, effectively putting to rest a decades-long debate in the process. They revealed their success in the journal PLoS ONE.
Doubtless you've experienced the physiological wonder that is a cracking knuckle. The audible pop it makes can sometimes be heard across an entire room, making many bystanders wince. But they probably have nothing to cringe about. While joint cracking may sound painful, it's not associated with any adverse health effects -- arthritis, for example.
Everyone knows that bending or stretching a joint is what causes it to crack, but what's going on under the skin? First off, a joint is where two bones meet. At the ends of each bone is soft, cushioning cartilage. Connecting the cartilage -- and thus the bones -- is a synovial membrane that's filled with a thick, lubricating fluid. Bending the joint can cause the membrane to stretch, which in turn causes the pressure inside it to drop and a bubble of dissolved gas to form within the fluid. The whole process is called tribonucleation.
Read more here. (Real Clear Science)
Doubtless you've experienced the physiological wonder that is a cracking knuckle. The audible pop it makes can sometimes be heard across an entire room, making many bystanders wince. But they probably have nothing to cringe about. While joint cracking may sound painful, it's not associated with any adverse health effects -- arthritis, for example.
Everyone knows that bending or stretching a joint is what causes it to crack, but what's going on under the skin? First off, a joint is where two bones meet. At the ends of each bone is soft, cushioning cartilage. Connecting the cartilage -- and thus the bones -- is a synovial membrane that's filled with a thick, lubricating fluid. Bending the joint can cause the membrane to stretch, which in turn causes the pressure inside it to drop and a bubble of dissolved gas to form within the fluid. The whole process is called tribonucleation.
Read more here. (Real Clear Science)