Knuckle cracking doesn't cause arthritis. A doctor tested it for 60 years.
The crack happens when you pull a joint apart: pressure in the joint fluid drops and a gas bubble forms abruptly. It then takes about 20 minutes for the gas to dissolve before it can crack again. One physician cracked the knuckles of only one hand for over 60 years and found no difference. Larger studies also show no link to arthritis.
Useful: The sound is physics in the joint fluid, not bone rubbing on bone.
Source: en.wikipedia.org