Consequences Of Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains are the most common injury to the ankle and the long term consequences of ankle sprains are common cause of chronic ankle pain. The most common type is the inversion ankle sprain, in which the ankle rolls over on the outside.

Ankle sprains are the stretching and tearing of ligaments - in the sprained ankle the most common damage is done to the talo-fibula ligament (if the ankle sprain is worse, the calcaneo-fibula ligament can also be damaged) - sometimes the tendons also get damaged.

The sprained ankle is often classified as to how severe it is:

First degree ankle sprains:

• Some stretching or mild tearing of the ligament.
• Little or no functional loss - the joint can still function and bear some weight
• Mild pain
• Some swelling
• Some joint stiffness.

Second degree ankle sprains:

• Some more severe tearing of the ligaments
• Moderate instability of the joint
• Moderate to severe pain – weight bearing is very painful
• Swelling and stiffness

Third degree ankle sprains:

• Total rupture of a ligament - there is a loss of motion
• Gross instability of the joint - joint function is lost
• Severe pain initially followed by no pain
• Severe swelling