Which Are The Most Commonly Injured Ankle Ligaments?
Your ankle joint, known as the talocrural joint, comprises three bones. Your tibia (shin bone; inside ankle bone), fibula (outer lower leg bone; outside ankle bone), and your talus (deep ankle bone). Beneath your talocrural joint lies the subtalar joint, articulating the talus and the calcaneus (heel bone). This forgotten joint is frequently overlooked during assessment, diagnosis and rehabilitation.
Your ankle ligaments attach bone-to-bone. They passively limit the motion available at each joint.
Outside of the ankle are the lateral ligaments. These ligaments are the most frequently injured in a lower ankle sprain. These include the following:
- anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL)
- calcaneofibular ligament (CFL)
- posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL)
The main medial (inside of the ankle) ligament is the much stronger deltoid ligament.
High ankle sprains involve the inferior tibiofibular ligament and syndesmosis. These are more disabling ankle injuries. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis is common.
