What causes crepitus?
The origin of the sound is apparently the presence of fine gaseous bubbles in the soft tissues, which arise from the soft tissues.
Although the presence of crepitus is alarming, it just means that the knee is 'not happy' but is not diagnostic in its own right.
"....Individuals with knee osteoarthritis and knee crepitus have slightly lower self-reported physical function and knee-related quality of life (small or trivial effect). However, the presence of knee crepitus is not associated with objective function or knee strength...."
What are the implications of crepitus?
The sudden awareness of crepitus in one's knee can be very alarming, especially if the sound is loud or the sensation coarse.
It always implies that the joint is under stress, but it is very non-specific.
"....It is important to differentiate between physiological noise and pathologic noise. In most cases, noise after surgery is simply the perception of noise that had been present previously due to emotional concerns....."
"....The best way to differentiate between physiological noise and pathological noise is by checking for pain and swelling/effusion in the knee joint...."
Forum discussions
- Patela shaving [sic] - Patient discussing crepitus from a cartilage defect under the patella.