Stabilization Exercises for Young Adults With Habitual Knuckle Cracking

September 8, 2026 updated by: Borna Farhoomand

Effects of Stabilization Exercises on Functional Performance, Proprioception, and Joint Laxity in Young Adults With Habitual Knuckle Cracking: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Habitual knuckle cracking is a widespread behavior caused by intra-articular pressure changes and gas release in synovial joints; however, its long-term effects on hand sensorimotor function, joint laxity, and overall biomechanics remain debated, with no structured clinical exercise interventions currently established. This prospective, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-week targeted stabilization exercise program focusing on the radiocarpal, metacarpophalangeal (MCP), and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints in young adults aged 18 to 30 years with habitual knuckle cracking. Participants are randomly allocated to either an intervention group receiving twice-weekly stabilization training (8 total sessions) or an un-exercised control group. The study hypothesizes that structured joint stabilization exercises will significantly improve wrist and finger joint position sense (proprioception), enhance upper extremity functional performance, and reduce joint laxity compared to the control group.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

42

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 30 years,
  • Voluntary agreement to participate and signing the Informed Consent Form following detailed study briefing,
  • Willingness to attend all assessment and intervention sessions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having an occupation that requires intensive or repetitive use of the upper extremities and fingers,
  • History of prior musculoskeletal injury involving the upper extremity or hand,
  • Presence of physical or sensory impairments (such as visual or auditory deficits) that could interfere with study procedures,
  • History of congenital or acquired orthopedic, neurological, or rheumatological conditions affecting hand or wrist range of motion and function,
  • History of hand or wrist trauma requiring medical, conservative, or surgical management within the past 6 months,
  • Presence of active skin lesions in the intervention region, including burns, cellulitis, vesicles, bullae, psoriasis, open or closed wounds, scar tissue, active infection, or malignancy,
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 or a history of morbid obesity.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Stabilization Exercise Group
Other: Stabilization Exercise Program
A 4-week supervised hand and wrist stabilization exercise program conducted 2 times per week (8 total sessions, 30-45 minutes per session). The protocol targets the radiocarpal (wrist), metacarpophalangeal (MCP), and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints. Exercises focus on enhancing joint position sense (proprioception), motor control, isometric and dynamic stabilization, and balanced muscle co-activation around the digits and wrist complex. Progression is individualized based on participant tolerance, maintaining movements within non-painful ranges to prevent joint strain. All sessions are supervised by a physical therapist.
No Intervention: Non-Exercise Control Group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Joint Position Sense (JPS) Absolute Error at 4 Weeks
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Joint Laxity
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Baseline and 4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Upper Extremity Functional Performance using the QuickDASH questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Pain Intensity on Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Baseline and 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Borna Farhoomand

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 25, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 28, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 8, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • E-60116787-020-859086

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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