Ankle Sprain

Unfortunately a rolled or sprained ankle is one of the more common ankle injuries in sport. There are 3 main ligaments involved with an ankle sprain – the ATFL (anterior talo-fibular ligment), PTFL (posterior talo-fibular ligament) and CFL (calcano-fibular ligament).

When you twist your ankle there are several structures which can be injured:

• Ligament strain of varying levels of severity of the ATFL, PTFL or CFL
• Syndesmosis strains or injury of the anterior talofibular ligament
• In bad cases of ankle sprains there is also a risk of fracturing bone.

Management of the sprained ankle consists initially of swelling management:

• Rest from any aggravating activities
• Ice to manage inflammation
• Compression around the ankle
• Elevation of the ankle above the head

You may also need to consult your physiotherapist to prevent future recurrences of sprains and appropriate management to return you to your daily activities as soon as possible.