Erin Hoops

Sprained Ankle

and

About Your Foot

and Ankle

Sprained Ankle

Developed by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS)

There's a good chance that while playing as a child or stepping on an uneven surface as an adult you sprained your ankle--some 25,000 people do it every day.

Sometimes, it is an awkward moment when you lose your balance, but the pain quickly fades away and you go on your way. But the sprain could be more severe; your ankle might swell and it might hurt too much to stand on it. If it's a severe sprain, you might have felt a "pop" when the injury happened.

A sprained ankle means one or more ligaments on the outside of your ankle were stretched or torn. If it is not treated properly, you could have long-term problems.

You're most likely to sprain your ankle when you have your toes on the ground and heel up (plantar flexion). This position puts your ankle's ligaments under tension, making them vulnerable. A sudden force like landing on an uneven surface may turn your ankle inward (inversion). When this happens, one, two or three of your ligaments may be hurt.

Tell your doctor what you were doing when you sprained your ankle. He or she will examine it and may want an X-ray to make sure no bones are broken. Depending on how many ligaments are injuried, your sprain is classified as Grade I, II or III.

Treating your sprained ankle

Grade I Sprain 

Treating your sprained ankle properly may prevent chronic pain and instability. For a Grade I sprain, follow the R.I.C.E. guidelines:

  • Rest your ankle by not walking on it.

  • Ice it to keep the swelling down.

  • Compressive bandages immobilize and support your injury.

  • Elevate your ankle above your heart level for 48 hours.

Also, do not take off the shoe.  Leave the shoe on as it will help contain the swelling.  In fact, if the shoe is at all loose, tie the laces tighter.  

The swelling usually goes down within a few days.

Grade II Sprain

For a Grade II sprain, follow the R.I.C.E. guidelines and allow more time for healing. A doctor may immobilize or splint your sprained ankle.

Grade III Sprain

A Grade III sprain puts you at risk for permanent ankle instability. Surgery may rarely be needed to repair the damage, especially in competitive athletes. For severe ankle sprains, your doctor may also consider treating you with a short leg cast for 2-3 weeks or a cast-brace. People who sprain their ankle repeatedly may also need surgical repair to tighten their ligaments.

Rehabilitating your sprained ankle

Every ligament injury needs rehabilitation. Otherwise, your sprained ankle might not heal completely and you might re-injure it. All ankle sprains, from mild to severe, require three phases of recovery:

1. Phase I includes resting, protecting and reducing swelling of your injured ankle.

2. Phase II includes restoring your ankle's flexibility, range of motion and strength.

3. Phase III includes gradually returning to straight-ahead activity and doing maintenance exercises, followed later by more cutting sports such as tennis, basketball of football.

Once you can stand on your ankle again, your doctor will prescribe exercise routines to strengthen your muscles and ligaments, and increase your flexibility, balance and coordination. Later, you may walk, jog and run figure eights with your ankle taped or in an air cast.

It's important to complete the rehabilitation program because it makes it less likely that you'll hurt the same ankle again. If you don't complete rehabilitation, you could suffer chronic pain, instability and arthritis in your ankle. If your ankle still hurts, it could mean that the sprained ligament(s) has not healed right, or that some other injury also happened.

To prevent future sprained ankles, pay attention to your body's warning signs to slow down when you feel pain or fatigue, and stay in shape with good muscle balance, flexibility and strength in your soft tissues.

 

April 2001

This material was codeveloped by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons -- www.aaos.org


Page's content from:

http://www.aofas.org/ffl_sportsshoes.asp

 

 

About Your Foot And Ankle

 

 

More than 5.3 million visits are made to physicians’ offices each year because of foot and ankle problems, including 1.6 million visits for ankle sprains and 950,000 visits for ankle fractures. Consider this:

  • Walking puts up to 1.5 times your bodyweight on your foot.

  • Your feet log approx. 1,000 miles per year.

  • As shock absorbers, feet cushion up to one million pounds of pressure during one hour of strenuous exercise.

How do the foot and ankle work?

Here are some facts from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Each foot has 26 bones. The ankle bone (talus) and the ends of the two lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) form the ankle joint, which is stabilized and supported by three groups of ligaments. Muscles and tendons move the foot and ankle.

 

What are the most prevalent foot and ankle injuries?

  • Ankle sprains. Sprained ankles are one of the most common injuries in sports. Because the inner ankle is more stable than the outer ankle, the foot is likely to turn inward (ankle inversion) from a fall, tackle, or jump. This stretches or tears ligaments; the result is an ankle sprain. The lateral ligament on the outer ankle is most prone to injury.

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  • Achilles tendon injury. The strongest and largest tendon, the Achilles tendon connects muscles in the lower leg with the heel bone. Sports that tighten the calf muscles, such as basketball, running and high-jumping can overstress this tendon and cause a strain (Achilles tendinitis) or a rupture. A direct blow to the foot, ankle, or calf can also cause it.

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  • Overuse injuries. Excessive training, such as running long distances without rest, places repeated stress on the foot and ankle. The result can be stress fractures and muscle/tendon strains.

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  • Shin splints. Pain in front of the shin bone (tibia) usually is caused by a stress fracture, called shin splints. Overtraining, poorly fitting athletic shoes, and a change in running surface from soft to hard puts athletes at risk for this injury.

What activities make people most susceptible to foot and ankle injuries?

Athletes who jump risk ankle sprains because they can accidentally land on the side of their foot. Extensive running, exercise, or training also can overstress the ligaments, leading to injury. Contact and kicking sports expose the foot and ankle to potential trauma—direct blows, crushing, displacement, etc. Especially prevalent in football, hockey, and soccer—trauma can dislocate a joint, fracture a bone, stretch or tear ligaments, or strain muscles and tendons.

What other factors make people susceptible to foot and ankle injuries?

Improperly fitting shoes or improper footwear for a particular sport can damage your feet. Training errors, i.e., running up hills, or running on bumpy roads, predispose you to serious sprains and strains. If you start a new sport without proper conditioning, you are at risk.

How are foot and ankle injuries treated?

Most sprains and strains are initially treated with rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Moderate and severe sprains and strains are often immobilized with a cast or splint. Severe fractures often require surgical repair.

No one is immune from these injuries, but the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons developed these tips to help reduce your injury risk:

  • Warm up before any sports activity, including practice

  • Participate in a conditioning program to build muscle strength

  • Do stretching exercises daily

  • Listen to your body: never run if you experience pain in the foot or ankle.

  • Wear protective equipment appropriate for that sport

  • Replace athletic shoes as soon as the tread or heel wears out

  • Wear properly fitting athletic, dress, and casual shoes

     


For more information on "Prevent Injuries America!®," call the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ public service telephone number 1-800-824-BONES (2663).

 

 

July 2001


Codeveloped by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society

For More Information:
Common Foot Problems
Achilles Tendinitis

  

 

 

For more educational materials by AOFAS:

http://www.aofas.org/educational.asp 

 

 

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