[mdubois82]

mdubois82  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I love your show...

The standard answer to knuckle cracking has been given more times than I can count but does not answer my question I know why or actually how they crack but once I crack them once or twice they will not again for some time so what happens to allow me to crack them again later and how can I prevent that from happening?

What do you think?

[Madidus_Scientia]

Well then you know that it's from dissolved nitrogen turning back into bubbles from the reduced pressure, after the pressure returns to normal the bubbles will dissolve back into the fluid again after a while.

To prevent it happening i guess you'd have to keep the joints stretched?

[Chemistry4me]

Are you a crack a fingerholic?

How to Stop Cracking Your Knuckles

Does that help?