Why can you only pop your knuckles once every 10-20 minutes?

Question

It is a biology question, and i was wonderin if anyone could help?

Answer 1

All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you are causing the bones of the joint to pull apart. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume. And as we know from chemistry class, with an increase in volume comes a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid drops, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.

It takes about 25-30 minutes for the gas to redissolve into the joint fluid. During this period of time, your knuckles will not crack. Once the gas is redissolved, cavitation is once again possible, and you can start popping your knuckles again.

Answer 2

Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones, held together and in place by connective tissues and ligaments. All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you are causing the bones of the joint to pull apart. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume. And as we know from chemistry class, with an increase in volume comes a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid drops, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.

It takes about 25-30 minutes for the gas to redissolve into the joint fluid. During this period of time, your knuckles will not crack. Once the gas is redissolved, cavitation is once again possible, and you can start popping your knuckles again

Answer 3

If you've ever laced your fingers together, turned your palms away from you and bent your fingers back, you know what knuckle popping sounds like. Joints produce that CRACK when bubbles burst in the fluid surrounding the joint.
Joints are the meeting points of two separate bones, held together and in place by connective tissues and ligaments. All of the joints in our bodies are surrounded by synovial fluid, a thick, clear liquid. When you stretch or bend your finger to pop the knuckle, you are causing the bones of the joint to pull apart. As they do, the connective tissue capsule that surrounds the joint is stretched. By stretching this capsule, you increase its volume. And as we know from chemistry class, with an increase in volume comes a decrease in pressure. So as the pressure of the synovial fluid drops, gases dissolved in the fluid become less soluble, forming bubbles through a process called cavitation. When the joint is stretched far enough, the pressure in the capsule drops so low that these bubbles burst, producing the pop that we associate with knuckle cracking.

It takes about 25-30 minutes for the gas to redissolve into the joint fluid. During this period of time, your knuckles will not crack. Once the gas is redissolved, cavitation is once again possible, and you can start popping your knuckles again.

Answer 4

Well, when you use your knuckles, some of the CO2 in your blood comes out of solution, and can build up bubbles in your knuckles. When you pop your knuckles, you are actually forcing these CO2 bubbles out of the knuckles, making them get absorbed by the blood stream, etc.

Before you can crack your knuckles again, more CO2 has to form bubbles in your knuckles.

You should be aware that people who crack their knuckles a lot tend to get arthritis at a later date. Whether cracking your knuckles is a cause of arthritis, or bubbles in your joints is an early warning sign of arthritis is unknown though.

Answer 5

It takes that long for the gas in the fluid between your knuckle joints to build up in order to crack them again. The fluid is supposed to be between the two bones as a cushion, but cracking them is the sound that happens when we force the fluid to one side to the other. My love for cracking my knuckles is what keeps me from wearing dainty little rings. The sound bothers some people, but I like to do it.

Answer 6

It takes time for the lactic acid to build up in that area again.

Answer 7

.Replenishing the gasses in your joints takes time.

Don't do it too much or you will have problems in the long run.