ANKLE SPRAIN

An ANKLE SPRAIN is a common musculoskeletal injury that involves the stretch or tear (partial or complete) of the ligaments of the ankle. They occur when the ankle moves outside of its normal range of motion which can be seen mostly in active and sports populations.

The most common type of ankle sprains were the lateral ligament injuries making up approximately 85% of all ankle sprains and the least common were acute medial and syndesmotic ankle sprains with females having the highest rate of ankle sprain incidence than males and children.

The SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS of ankle sprain vary widely depending on the type and severity of the injury and include:

1. Pain especially when putting weight on the affected foot.
2. Tenderness upon palpation of the ankle joint.
3. Bruising, edema and swelling.
4. Limitation in range of motion and instability at the level of the joint.
5. Complains of cold foot or paresthesia which could imply neurovascular compromise of peroneal nerve.
SPECIAL TESTS: positive signs in Anterior Draw, Talar Tilt or Squeeze Test

One of the grading systems used for classifying ankle sprains focuses on a single ligament:

Grade I: represents slight stretching and damage to fibers of the ligament.
Grade II: represents partial tear of the ligament.
Grade III: represents complete rupture of the ligament.