Originally published on October 25, 2013 <br /><br />This animation describes what happens when a person cracks their knuckle joints. All of the joints in the body are surrounded by connective tissues, ligaments and synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is a clear, thick liquid that contains dissolved gasses. When joints, such as the ones between finger bones are pulled apart as a person cracks his or her knuckles, the volume increases between the joints, lowering the pressure inside the synovial fluid and causing the gases within it to burst. This causes a popping sound.<br /><br />Joints that have been cracked cannot be popped again immediately, as it takes roughly 25 minutes before gases are dissolved back into the synovial fluid again. <br /><br />So far, no studies have found that knuckle cracking causes any damage in finger joints or contributes to the development of arthritis. However, some studies have shown that repetitive knuckle-cracking may affect the soft tissue surrounding the joint and decrease the grip strength of a person's hand.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.<br /><br />For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:<br />https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:<br />http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Stay connected with us here:<br />Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS
