An ankle sprain is a partial or full tear of the strong bands of tissue that connect the ankle bones.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Causes may be:
This problem in more common in teenagers, young adults, and people who are active in sports. Some sports that may raise the risk are basketball, football, and ice hockey.
Other things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
Problems may be:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms, health history, and how the injury happened. A physical exam will be done. It will focus on the ankle. This is enough to make the diagnosis.
Images may be taken to make sure the ankle is not broken. This can be done with:
The goal is to ease pain and improve movement. This may be done with:
The risk of an ankle sprain may be lowered by:
Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org
Sports Med—American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
http://www.sportsmed.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Association
http://www.coa-aco.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
http://www.canorth.org
Ankle sprain. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/ankle-sprain. Updated April 30, 2018. Accessed March 27, 2020.
Sprained ankle. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00150. Updated February 2016. Accessed March 27, 2020.
Sprains and strains. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website. Available at: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sprains_Strains/default.asp. Accessed March 27, 2020.
Vuurberg G, Hoorntje A, et al. Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of ankle sprains: update of an evidence-based clinical guideline. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Aug;52(15):956.
Last reviewed February 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Teresa Briedwell, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS Last Updated: 3/27/2020
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.