Research Suggests Creaking Knees May Not Signal Serious Health Issues

Good news for runners and those recovering from knee surgery: your creaking knees might not be as concerning as you think. Recent research indicates that knee creaking doesn’t necessarily mean a higher risk of arthritis for individuals post-surgery.

Led by scientists at La Trobe University in Australia, this study explored the long-term effects for young patients who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. While those with creaky knees reported more pain in the year following their surgery, they ultimately had similar outcomes to those without creaking knees in the years that followed.

This suggests that the presence of knee creaking isn’t a reliable indicator of future arthritis, even in those recovering from significant injuries, as the researchers have noted.

The Nature of Knee Noises

Knee creaking, referred to as knee crepitus, is quite common. About 41% of the general population is estimated to experience it, and it can occur in individuals of all ages. Interestingly, studies have found it’s particularly prevalent among those with osteoarthritis. This has led some medical professionals to suggest that creaking could be an early warning sign of arthritis, especially among high-risk groups such as patients recovering from knee surgeries.

To examine this idea, researchers enlisted 112 young patients, with a median age of 28, who had their ACLs repaired. They monitored the patients’ knee health over five years, including self-assessments of symptoms like knee pain and crepitus, alongside MRIs performed one and five years after surgery.

Creaking, Yet Functional

While participants with crepitus did face challenges initially, the researchers found that outcomes eventually evened out for both groups.

“We discovered that individuals with knee crepitus exhibited more than two and a half times higher rates of full-thickness cartilage defects in the kneecap area, along with increased pain and reduced function early on,” stated Jamon Couch, the lead author and a physical therapist at La Trobe. “However, over the subsequent four years, those with crepitus did not report worse pain or function compared to those without it.”

People with torn ACLs generally have a heightened long-term risk for osteoarthritis. Thus, the findings, published recently in Arthritis Care and Research, offer some comfort that creaky knees don’t necessarily predict future problems, particularly in young individuals recovering from surgery.

While focused on ACL patients, there are other reasons to view knee creaking as less alarming for the average person. A review from the same researchers found that 36% of individuals without knee pain also experience crepitus, which is quite close to the overall public percentage.

Experts do advise that anyone experiencing additional knee symptoms, such as swelling or pain, should consult a doctor. There are numerous strengthening exercises available to help maintain or improve knee health, particularly for runners. Staying active, in general, is beneficial for joint health.