'Popping' Knees Are Not a Sign of Early Arthritis, According to New Study
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 8 October 2025
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Knee popping, also called crepitus, is common and not always linked to arthritis, so hearing sounds alone does not mean your joints are deteriorating
- A five-year study of young adults recovering from ACL surgery found that noisy knees were associated with early cartilage stress but did not predict long-term decline in function or pain
- Exercise is one of the most effective ways to protect noisy knees, as strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves helps stabilize the joint and reduces strain
- Lifestyle strategies like stretching, weight management, and modifying high-impact movements are often more effective than surgery, which is rarely needed for crepitus
- Collagen from high-quality supplements or bone broth supports cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, offering an extra layer of protection for long-term knee health
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Have you ever stood up, heard a sharp pop from your knee, and wondered if you're on a fast track to arthritis? |
| 0:06.0 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. |
| 0:16.0 | Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:20.0 | Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom. |
| 0:23.9 | I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're looking at what knee popping, or crepitous, really |
| 0:29.2 | means, what a new five-year study found about it, and how you can protect your joints without |
| 0:34.1 | rushing toward procedures you may not need. |
| 0:36.5 | I guide the discussion and keep us |
| 0:38.1 | focused on the practical takeaways you can use right away. I'm a Lara Sky, and I'll help |
| 0:43.4 | break down the data so you understand what those sounds are telling you and what they're not. You'll hear |
| 0:48.8 | what researchers saw in young adults after ACL surgery, why activity remains central to recovery, and which simple |
| 0:55.5 | training tweaks make noisy knees feel and function better over time. |
| 1:00.6 | Let's start with reassurance. |
| 1:02.3 | Knee sounds are common. |
| 1:04.0 | Roughly four in ten people notice them at some point. |
| 1:06.8 | Hearing a pop or crack by itself doesn't mean your joint is deteriorating. |
| 1:11.1 | The study we're discussing followed 112 adults, median age 28, all recovering from ACL reconstruction, |
| 1:18.9 | a group at higher risk for future osteoarthritis. |
| 1:22.0 | Early on, those with crepitus showed more pain and slightly worse function, |
| 1:26.6 | and MRI scans often found full thickness cartilage defects near the kneecap. |
| 1:31.7 | Here's the important part. Over the next four years, that gap closed. |
| 1:36.8 | By year five, pain and function for the noisy knee group looked similar to those with quiet knees. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Briana Mercola, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Briana Mercola and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.