What Those Crackly Knee Sounds Really Mean

What do those crackly noises made by your knees really mean? Researchers at Georgia Tech who have devised a way to record the sounds of healthy and unhealthy knees have this answer: it depends. First, they say, all knees make crackly sounds, even if you can’t hear them. Healthy knees produce a consistent pattern of sounds, while damaged knees are more erratic noisemakers. So far, the researchers aren’t diagnosing specific problems with sound, but they can use their tools to tell if a damaged knee is mending properly. A Georgia Tech news release reports that the researchers hope that their acoustic device could lead to inexpensive, wearable monitors, which could benefit athletes who have overburdened their knees, and elderly patients who have slipped and fallen.