Ankle Sprains

An ankle sprain is an injury to one or more ligaments in the ankle. Ligaments are bands of tissue, like rubber bands, that connect one bone to another and bind the joints together. In the ankle joint, ligaments provide stability by limiting side-to-side movement. Most ankle sprains occur on the outer aspect of the ankle.

Some ankle sprains are worse than others. The severity of an ankle sprain depends on whether the ligament is partially or completely torn and on the number of ligaments involved. Ankle sprains are not the same as strains which affect muscles rather than ligaments.