Ankle Injury: Types, Causes & Prevention

Medically Reviewed By : Dr Sravya, MBBS, MS

Introduction

An ankle injury can result from damage to bone, ligament, or tendon. The talus of your
foot, the fibula, and the tibia of your lower leg are all joined by the ankle. Ligaments,
which are powerful, elastic bands of connective tissue that support appropriate ankle
motion, hold these bones together at the ankle joint. Tendons connect muscles to bones so they can move the ankle and foot, maintaining joint stability. Ankle issues are usually linked to sports injuries. But you don’t have to be a “weekend warrior” or even an athlete to twist your ankle and hurt it. A painful, incapacitating sprain can be brought on by something as easy as walking on an uneven surface.

Any person, regardless of age, can hurt their ankle. In contrast to women over the age
of 30, who have higher rates than men, men between the ages of 15 and 24 had higher
rates of ankle sprains. Half of ankle sprains occur in athletes.

Ankle injuries cause over a million people to visit emergency rooms each year. Sprains
and fractures, which affect the ligaments and bones in the ankle, are the two most
frequent types of ankle injuries. A tendon can, however, also be ripped or strained.

Strains of muscles and tendons are more frequent in the lower back and legs. Two tendons in the ankle are frequently stretched. The peroneal tendons serve to support and safeguard the ankle. They may swell up as a result of trauma or misuse. A sudden stress or force causes acute tendon tears. Tendinitis is the medical term for an inflamed tendon. Tendinosis is a condition brought on by microscopic tendon tears that don’t heal properly and accumulate over time as a result of repeated overstretching. Tendons may rupture as well. A tendon that slips out of place is referred to as a subluxation.

In This Article

Anatomy of the Ankle

Three bones converge at the ankle in a joint:

The inside of your ankle is formed by the tibia, or shinbone.
The outside of the ankle is formed by the fibula, a tiny bone in your lower leg.
Your talus, a little bone with a cone-like structure, is located between your heel and your tibia or fibula.
Frozen Shoulder: It is uncertain what causes a frozen shoulder. But it often happens during a period of binding, a mistake, or specific illnesses. The pain grows with time as the shoulder becomes harder and harder, reducing movement. But it often happens during a period of binding, a mistake, or specific illnesses. The pain grows with time as the shoulder becomes harder and harder, reducing movement
Muscle Strains: Activities involving repeated or powerful motions may harm the muscles that support the arm joints. This can cause severe pain, cramps in the muscles, and challenges in completing particular tasks.
Poor Position: Kneeling or maintaining incorrect positioning can put excessive stress on the shoulder joint and surrounding muscles. This can later result in unbalanced muscles, stress, and pain in the shoulder.

Your talus, a little bone with a cone-like structure, is located between your heel and your tibia or fibula.

Fracture: - A fracture, often called a broken bone, is a break in one or more bones.
Cartilage: - Bones can move more easily against one another because of cartilage. Additionally, it aids in absorbing shock when you run, jump, or walk.
Ligaments: - Ligaments are powerful tissue bands that connect your bones and support the stability of joints. The medial, lateral, and syndesmotic ligaments are the three primary sets of ligaments in your ankle.
Tendons: - which resemble cords, join muscles to bones. The Achilles tendon, two peroneal tendons, and the posterior tibial tendon are all located in your ankle. Any person, regardless of age, can hurt their ankle. People who are active are vulnerable to injury.

Ankle Injuries Types

Any injury to one of those structures may result in sudden ankle discomfort. Among physically active, athletic people, the most typical ankle injuries are:

Ankle sprain: A sprain, which can range in severity from mild to severe, is an injury to one or more ligaments that occurs when they are stretched beyond their usual range of motion. A ligament sprain can range from numerous little tears in the ligament's fibers to a full tear or rupture.
Strain: A strain is the medical term for muscle and tendon damage brought on by being pulled or stretched too far. a ligament or muscle damage that is less serious than a sprain.

Signs you sprained your ankle

Signs and Symptoms: –

Edema or bruising in the region.
Deformity, such as the way your ankle appears distorted.
Popping or cracking sounds, especially when they are accompanied by pain.
Sharp, sudden pain.
When you touch the wounded area, you feel tenderness.
Difficulty elevating your foot, walking, bearing weight, or moving your ankle.

Causes

Ankle pain is not typically brought on by a sudden accident or injury. It could also be persistent or chronic. The following conditions can cause chronic ankle discomfort:

Arthritis: Your ankle could be affected by a variety of forms of arthritis. Chronic pain or discomfort is a typical sign of arthritis.
Blood Clot in your leg: Ankle pain could be brought on by a blood clot in your leg, which can form anywhere in the leg. It frequently comes with pain and swelling in other parts of the leg, like the area behind the knee.
Chronic tendinopathy/tendonitis/tendinosis: Overuse damage to tendons includes chronic tendinopathy, tendinitis, and tendinosis, which can be quite painful.
Gout: Your foot may get gout in a number of locations. Your skin in that area may become heated to the touch or appear red. Gout frequently develops soon after a person makes a big adjustment to their diet.
Infection: Both bacterial and fungal infections, which can be very serious, can cause ankle pain. One illustration of a typical infection in New England is Lyme disease.
Nerve injury: Your Ankle and other areas of your leg may experience discomfort due to a damaged nerve. This frequently has a numbing or tingling sensation.
Plantar fasciitis: Although officially a foot condition, plantar fasciitis can cause discomfort and tenderness that travels to the ankle.
Rheumatologic conditions: Inflammation of the joints and tendons can result from chronic autoimmune diseases, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Stress fractures: Stress can induce tiny cracks in bones, which can hurt either dullly or sharply. Usually, the affected bone is where the discomfort is concentrated.

Prevention

The best way to protect your child’s ankles is to ensure that they are properly physically prepared for the sport. This includes having high balance, flexibility, and endurance.

Self-care to be taken

There is no need to seek medical attention right away if the pain is not severe, the ankle can move fully, the strength and sensibility are normal,
and there is no misalignment.
Many ankle injuries are made better by self-care techniques. Start by using the RICE approach to treat the injury at home: –

Rest: Do your best to keep weight off the ankle. Break up with your regular schedule.
Ice: Three times a day, for 15 to 20 minutes each time, apply an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas to the ankle.
Compression: To lessen swelling, wrap the region with a compression bandage.
Elevation: Raise the foot above the level of the heart to aid in edema reduction.
Painkillers available without a prescription: painkillers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve), which lessen discomfort and hasten recovery, are available over-the-counter.

Even with the best care, the ankle may swell, be stiff, or hurt for a few weeks.