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Summary
Your ankle bone and the ends of your two lower leg bones make up the ankle joint. Your ligaments, which connect bones to one another, stabilize and support it. Your muscles and tendons move it.
The most common ankle problems are sprains and fractures (broken bones). A sprain is an injury to the ligaments. It may take a few weeks to many months to heal completely. A fracture is a break in a bone. You can also injure other parts of the ankle such as tendons, which join muscles to bone, and cartilage, which cushions your joints. Ankle sprains and fractures are common sports injuries.
Diagnosis and Tests
- Ankle Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
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Bone X-Ray
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in Spanish
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Direct Arthrography
(American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)
Also in Spanish
- Search the Foot and Ankle Conditions: Interactive Foot Diagram (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
- X-Ray Exam: Ankle (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Ankle Cheilectomy (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- Distraction Arthroplasty (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- How to Tape an Ankle (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- Joint and Soft Tissue Injections (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Sprains, Strains and Fractures (American Podiatric Medical Association)
- Subtalar Arthroscopy (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- What Is a Foot and Ankle Surgeon? (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
Living With
- Ankle Sprain Treatment (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- How to Strengthen Your Ankle After a Sprain (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- How to Stretch Your Ankle after a Sprain (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
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Mobility Aids: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Bone Healing (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Leg Swelling (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Ankle Fractures (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Chronic Ankle Instability (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Chronic Lateral Ankle Pain (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- Equinus (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Os Trigonum Syndrome (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Osteoarthritis of the Foot and Ankle (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Peroneal Tendon Injuries (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- Sinus Tarsi Syndrome (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
- Talar Dome Lesion (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) Also in Spanish
Images
- Ankle sprain - Series -- Normal anatomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Ankle Fractures Often Not Diagnosed (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
- Smoking and Bone Healing - A Risky Surgical Combination (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Ankle Injuries
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Comparison of screw fixation and dynamic fixation in the treatment of...
- Article: Non-restraint in pediatric ankle sprain: a non-inferiority randomized clinical trial.
- Article: Comparing costs and timing of ankle sprain care in two first-tier...
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles
Reference Desk
- Glossary of Foot and Ankle Terms (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
Find an Expert
- American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
- Find a Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Surgeon (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
-
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also in Spanish
Children
- Sprained Ankles (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Ankle arthroscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Ankle fracture - aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Ankle pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Ankle replacement (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Ankle sprain - aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Foot, leg, and ankle swelling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish