Sprained ankle

Definition

A sprain is called a sprain in medical terminology. This is the overstretching of one or more ligaments or the joint capsule. Although the ligaments are very robust and serve to secure the joint, a sprained ankle is most often caused by sports injuries or an unfortunate ankle twist.

Causes

A sprain is one of the most common and uncomplicated sports injuries. It can occur particularly quickly in sports such as handball, volleyball, basketball and tennis. Fast and sudden running and jumping movements can put a lot of strain on the ligaments around the ankle, so the risk of being injured and getting a sprained ankle is higher.

If you are unhappy after a jump and cannot find a stable foothold, the foot will most often bend outwards. The ligaments on the outside are put under a lot of tension and can be overstretched. In this case it is a supination trauma.

Whether or not you sprain your ankle depends most likely on the stability of the ligaments. People with an existing foot malposition, such as a hollow foot, can develop a sprain more quickly. People who suffer from muscle weakness are also more likely to overstretch the ligaments of the ankle. On the other hand, athletes and especially competitive athletes who subject their ankle ligaments to extreme stress are also at higher risk of spraining the ankle.

Symptoms

A sprain is accompanied by massive overstretching of the ligaments of the ankle joint. The outer side of the ankle joint is most frequently affected. If the sprain is caused by, for example, twisting the foot, a sudden pulling and strong pain usually occurs.

The affected person is then usually no longer able to put any weight on the sprained foot and has persistent severe pain. Depending on how severely the foot is bent to the side in a supination trauma, swelling can occur in addition to the pain. This increases slowly and can worsen the pain due to the pressure on the sprained ligaments.

The swelling may last for several days. Frequent cooling and especially the immediate elevation and cooling of the sprained ankle can often prevent a severe swelling of the foot. If the ligaments are severely overstretched, smaller blood vessels can also tear. After some time, this can also cause a haematoma (bruise) on the injured ankle.