What is an ankle sprain?

• The common ankle joint has 3 ligaments on the outside and 5 ligaments on the inside which help to connect the bones together.

• An ankle sprain is an injury to one or more ligaments in the ankle, usually on the outside of the ankle. Ligaments are bands of tissue—like rubber bands—that connect one bone to another and bind the joints together. In the ankle joint, ligaments provide stability by limiting side-to-side movement.

​

How is it commonly injured

• Sprained ankles often result from a fall, a sudden twist or a blow that forces the ankle joint out of its normal position. Ankle sprains commonly occur while participating in sports, wearing inappropriate shoes or walking or running on an uneven surface.

• Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries to the leg.

​

Classification and Signs and Symptoms of this injury

The classification for ligament injury is quite standardised:

• • Grade 1: Slight tear

  • Grade 2: Moderate tear

  • Grade 3: Complete rupture

Signs and symptoms will vary depending on the grade of injury but are generally associated with swelling and bruising where the ligament has been injured as well as instability and a decrease in range of motion.

​

Current management techniques

• Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation: all these techniques help to control the swelling and pain.

• Minimisation of strength losses 

• Minimisation of range of motion loss

• Rehabilitation is important as a lot of these ankle sprains can reoccur and create a lot of chronic ankle pains and repetitive ankle sprains