PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - deWeber, Kevin
AU  - Olszewski, Mariusz
AU  - Ortolano, Rebecca
TI  - Knuckle Cracking and Hand Osteoarthritis
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2011.02.100156
DP  - 2011 Mar 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - 169--174
VI  - 24
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/24/2/169.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/24/2/169.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2011 Mar 01; 24
AB  - Background: Previous studies have not shown a correlation between knuckle cracking (KC) and hand osteoarthritis (OA). However, one study showed an inverse correlation between KC and metacarpophalangeal joint OA. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study among persons aged 50 to 89 years who received a radiograph of the right hand during the last 5 years. Patients had radiographically proven hand OA, and controls did not. Participants indicated frequency, duration, and details of their KC behavior and known risk factors for hand OA. Results: The prevalence of KC among 215 respondents (135 patients, 80 controls) was 20%. When examined in aggregate, the prevalence of OA in any joint was similar among those who crack knuckles (18.1%) and those who do not (21.5%; P = .548). When examined by joint type, KC was not a risk for OA in that joint. Total past duration (in years) and volume (daily frequency × years) of KC of each joint type also was not significantly correlated with OA at the respective joint. Conclusions: A history of habitual KC—including the total duration and total cumulative exposure—does not seem to be a risk factor for hand OA.