<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">deWeber, Kevin</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Olszewski, Mariusz</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ortolano, Rebecca</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Knuckle Cracking and Hand Osteoarthritis</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011-03-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">169-174</style></pages><doi><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">10.3122/jabfm.2011.02.100156</style></doi><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">24</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Background: Previous studies have not shown a correlation between knuckle cracking (KC) and hand osteoarthritis (OA). However, one study showed an inverse correlation between KC and metacarpophalangeal joint OA. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study among persons aged 50 to 89 years who received a radiograph of the right hand during the last 5 years. Patients had radiographically proven hand OA, and controls did not. Participants indicated frequency, duration, and details of their KC behavior and known risk factors for hand OA. Results: The prevalence of KC among 215 respondents (135 patients, 80 controls) was 20%. When examined in aggregate, the prevalence of OA in any joint was similar among those who crack knuckles (18.1%) and those who do not (21.5%; P = .548). When examined by joint type, KC was not a risk for OA in that joint. Total past duration (in years) and volume (daily frequency × years) of KC of each joint type also was not significantly correlated with OA at the respective joint. Conclusions: A history of habitual KC—including the total duration and total cumulative exposure—does not seem to be a risk factor for hand OA.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>