Oneliner_2171

OneLiner

A young gymnast presents to the emergency department after landing awkwardly on her ankle upon dismounting from the uneven bars. This patient has a lateral ankle sprain, which is most often due to inversion of a plantar-flexed foot, as in this vignette. It is common to have ecchymosis and tenderness over the lateral aspect of the joint. Over-inversion stresses the ligaments on the lateral side of the ankle. As shown in the diagram, these include the anterior and posterior talofibular ligaments as well as the calcaneofibular ligament. Injuries to the ligaments about the ankle usually result from inversion and internal rotation of the foot combined with ankle plantar flexion. The most common ankle sprains involve only the anterior talofibular ligament.