What could crackles, clicks in bones mean for your health?

People generally encounter a condition while sitting, getting up or even walking in which sudden crackles and clicks are heard from their bones but experts suggest whether it is a cause of concern or not.

Daniel Wiznia, an orthopaedic surgeon at Yale School of Medicine, told HuffPost Monday: “Cavitation is when you have two surfaces form a vacuum. The sound is produced as the two joint surfaces snap apart and the joint fluid forms almost like a little gas, and that makes the sound.”

The expert further explained: “The kneecap, as it tracks…can sometimes find a path where there’s a little ridge or bump within the cartilage within that path. That causes a little bit of a snap, and that’s normal,” Wiznia explained.

It would be a problem if that crackle is accompanied with pain, swelling, joint instability, or something moving around inside or around the knee, reported New York Post.

Those experiencing this condition should consult with the doctor.

Rarely, the clicking indicates avascular necrosis, a situation when the blood supply to the bone is cut, leading to knee pain and a click.

It could also indicate crepitus, which occurs when cartilage wears down and the two surfaces of bone grind against one another.

“It can be loud, and sometimes you can even feel it when you put your hands over your knee. That means that the patient has arthritis,” Wiznia told HuffPost.

Wiznia noted that not all arthritis is painful or requires surgery to treat and the measures include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy and injection therapy.