I have crepitus

Apparently, I'm not the only one. I found a plethora of FAQs online from young people like myself who have experienced clicking sounds emininating from their knees. Some of these people have had it forever, like me. It never bothered me (despite being midly embarassing) until I started trying to do some of these yoga poses. My knees just lock up, and until they "click" (crepitus), I can't move the darn things! It's really limiting my range of motion. Someone once referred to this as my "Rice Crispies knees." Snap crackle pop, Shalu's knees!

From what I've read, it's not really anything to worry about, unless it's associted with pain. Then, it could be a sign of osteoarthritis. Great!

Definition of Crepitus

Crepitus: A clinical sign in medicine characterized by a peculiar crackling, crinkly, or grating feeling or sound under the skin, around the lungs, or in the joints. Crepitus in a joint can represent cartilage wear in the joint space.

The term "crepitus" is taken directly from the Latin "crepitus" meaning "a crackling sound or rattle."

MedicineNet.com, http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12061
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From one website: "The sound usually emanates from around the kneecap and is said to be due the kneecap cartilage rubbing against the underlying cartilage of the femur."

The Knee Guru. http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/html/dictionary/crepitus.html.