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Ankle Injuries

Ankle sprain is the commonly occurring injuring among the majority of ankle injuries. A sprained ankle occurs following a sudden sideways or twisting movement of the foot. An ankle sprain can occur during athletic events or during everyday activities. All it takes is an awkward step or an uneven surface to cause an ankle sprain--that is why sprained ankles are among the most common orthopedic injuries. Orthopedic doctors see patients for ankle sprains very often, and it is the most common foot and ankle injury.

Ankle sprains are common injuries that runners experience. Early recognition and treatment of this problem will help speed your recovery from ankle ligament injuries.

How does an ankle sprain occur?

A sprained ankle usually occurs when a person lands from jumping or running on to an uneven surface. For example, sprained ankles are often seen when basketball players come down from a jump and land on another player's foot.

What happens inside the ankle when it is sprained?

An ankle sprain is an injury to the ligament in the ankle. The ligaments are structures that control excessive movement of the joint. When an ankle sprain happens, the ligament is stretched too far, and is either partially or completely torn.

Types of ankle sprains:

Inversion Ankle Sprains

The most common type of ankle sprain occurs when the foot is inverted, falling inward. When this type of ankle sprain happens, the outer, or lateral, ligaments are stretched too far. There are three ligaments that attach to the outer side of the ankle. About 90% of ankle sprains are inversion injuries. Pain is always on the outside of the ankle, and there is usually no pain on the inside of the ankle joint.

Eversion Ankle Sprains
The other type of sprained ankle is called an eversion injury, where the foot is twisted outwards. When this occurs, the inner ligament, called the deltoid ligament, is stretched too far. Patients will have pain on the inner side of the ankle.

Symptoms of an ankle sprain

Common symptoms associated with an ankle sprain are

A 'high ankle sprain'

A high ankle sprain is a particular type of injury to the ligaments around the ankle. In a high ankle sprain, the ligaments above the joint are also injured. These ligaments, called the syndesmosis ligaments, can also be injured, and may necessitate a longer course of rehabilitation.

Achilles tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is a condition of irritation and inflammation of the large tendon in the back of the ankle. Achilles tendonitis is a common overuse injury that tends to occur in middle-age recreational athletes.