Ankle Injuries and Disorders (Print Version)

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. 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.

Start Here

Ankle Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/543.printerview.html
Foot and Ankle(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00144

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Ankle Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/543.printerview.html
Ankle Swelling (Both Ankles)(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/ankle-swelling-bilateral/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
Ankle Swelling (One Ankle)(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/ankle-swelling-unilateral/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
Arthrography (Joint X-Ray)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=arthrog&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=arthrog
Bone X-Ray (Radiography)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bonerad&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=bonerad

Treatment

Foot and Ankle Injuries(American Podiatric Medical Association) - http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=371&DID=9412
Also available in Spanish http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?CID=374&DID=9243
Joint and Soft Tissue Injections(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/774.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/injuries/774.printerview.html

Rehabilitation/Recovery

Ankle Sprain Strengthening Exercises(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=57
Ankle Sprain Stretching Exercises(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=58
MedlinePlus: Mobility Aids - Canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mobilityaids.html

Specific Conditions

Ankle Fractures(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00391
Broken Ankle(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00151
Chronic Ankle Instability(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/chronic-ankle-instability.htm
Equinus(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/Equinus.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.footphysicians.com/espanol/equinismo.htm
Fracture of the Talus(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00170
Osteoarthritis of the Foot and Ankle(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/osteoarthritis.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.footphysicians.com/espanol/osteoartritis-del-pie-y-el-tobillo.htm
Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00163&return_link=0
Sprained Ankle(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00150
Stress Fractures of the Foot and Ankle(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00379

Related Issues

Questions and Answers about Sprains and Strains(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sprains_Strains/default.asp

Videos

Ankle Sprain(Healthy Roads Media) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/enganksp.htm
Tendon and Ligament Repairs in the Foot and Ankle(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=297
Also available in Spanish http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM-Spanish/wrm_1463/rnh_sp.cfm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Ankle Injuries(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Ankle+Injuries%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Skimboard injuries. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18695488&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Ankle ligament injuries. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18646418&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: MR imaging of cartilage repair in the knee and ankle. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18635628&tool=MedlinePlus
Ankle Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=ankle+injuries[mh]+OR+ankle/ab[mh]+OR+ankle+joint/ab[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt])+NOT+letter[pt]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

Glossary of Foot and Ankle Terms(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/scripts/4disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=94
Glossary of Orthopaedic Words(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/glossary.cfm

Directories

Find a Physician (Podiatrist)(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons) - http://www.footphysicians.com/findphysician/default.htm?disclaimer=1
Find an Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle MD(American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) - http://www.aofas.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/directory/person.html?Action=AOFAS&AOFAS_Activity=Directory&MenuKey=123&Time=77704784&SessionID=88303289sfi4661559tb9f1p3j86a4a85344ld49u0034xa00j3495nbi16f1fz7

Organizations

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society - http://www.aofas.org/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/

Children

Pediatric and Adolescent Foot and Ankle Problems(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/childrens_health/hic_pediatric_and_adolescent_foot_and_ankle_problems.aspx

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Foot Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/footinjuriesanddisorders.html
Sprains and Strains - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sprainsandstrains.html
Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Ankle Injuries and Disorders is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Ankle Injuries and Disorders - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/ankleinjuriesanddisorders.html