Knuckle Myths
This long-held belief claims that cracking your knuckles will lead to this painful joint condition.
What is arthritis?
This distinct noise made when cracking your knuckles led many to believe the habit could damage joints.
What is the popping sound?
Bending, twisting, or pulling a finger increases the space between these two structures in the hand.
What are the bones (of the joint)?
Although knuckle cracking doesn’t cause arthritis, doing it excessively can weaken this everyday hand ability that helps you hold things firmly.
What is grip strength?
$10 Whataburger Gift Cards
What is a Jeopardy Winner's Reward
This doctor spent 50 years cracking only the knuckles on his left hand to test the arthritis myth.
Who is Dr. Donald Unger?
This term refers to traditional, unscientific beliefs—like the idea that cracking knuckles causes arthritis.
What are old wives’ tales?
When the space inside a joint increases, this physical force drops, triggering the popping effect.
What is pressure?
Over-cracking can strain these fibrous tissues that connect muscle to bone.
What are tendons?
The animal that was dissected last class
What is a rat?
To test the knuckle-cracking theory, Dr. Donald Unger performed this type of experiment—on himself.
What is a self-experiment?
Some early concerns about knuckle cracking came from the assumption that this specific sound signaled physical harm inside the joint.
What is the “pop” sound?
The fluid inside your joints—where gases like nitrogen are dissolved—is known as this.
What is synovial fluid?
Frequent knuckle cracking may cause small tears in these connective tissues that stabilize joints.
What are ligaments?
The Tank Bryan and Adam
What is who danced to Michael Jackson's "Beat it"?
Many studies investigating knuckle cracking have concluded there is no proven link between the habit and this commonly feared outcome.
What is joint damage?
A 1989 case report from this medical journal misleadingly linked knuckle cracking to joint abnormalities.
What is the British Medical Journal?
When pressure drops inside the joint capsule, this particular gas comes out of solution and forms a bubble.
What is nitrogen?
Reduced grip strength from excessive knuckle cracking can make even simple digital tasks—like scrolling through this popular short-video app—more difficult.
What is TikTok?
TA's Panda Order
What is Benard's answer
After reviewing existing studies, researchers concluded there was no measurable link between this common habit and the development of arthritis.
What is cracking your knuckles?
A later case study debunked the 1989 report by showing that this supposed link between knuckle cracking and joint damage was unfounded.
What is the claim that knuckle cracking causes joint damage?
The sudden formation of a gas bubble inside the synovial fluid during knuckle cracking is caused by this rapid change inside the joint capsule.
What is a drop in joint pressure?
Fine motor issues from over-cracking can affect basic daily tasks such as lifting, holding, eating, or even this simple act of moving around.
What is walking?
Bryan nickname
What is Uncle?