Does a clicking knee always mean arthritis?

When a knee clicks or cracks on bending or on the stairs, many people fear that arthritis or bone wear has started. In fact, a noisy knee is very common, and without pain there is usually no disease behind it.

Why knees click

• Tiny gas bubbles bursting in the fluid inside the joint
• A tendon or ligament slipping around the kneecap (patella)
• Joint cartilage becoming less smooth with age

When it's nothing to worry about

• It clicks, but there is no pain, swelling or trouble walking
• It has been the same for a long time and isn't getting worse

When to see a doctor

• The clicking comes with pain or swelling
• The knee locks or suddenly gives way
• Clicking and pain started after an injury
• The knee is stiff in the morning, or stairs are getting harder

Looking after your knees

• Keep your weight in check: extra weight loads the knee
• Strengthen the muscles at the front of the thigh (quadriceps), as your doctor advises
• Spend less time sitting cross-legged or with the knees fully bent
• Don't take painkillers or injections on your own

Arthritis can't be diagnosed from the sound alone. If there is pain or another symptom, the cause is confirmed with an examination and, when needed, an X-ray.