Ruth Ann Cooper, D.P.M

Ankle sprains may be one of the most common injuries, but they are also commonly misdiagnosed. That’s because the two major types of sprained ankles, high ankle sprains and lateral ankle sprains, often look the same, even though they affect entirely different ligaments.

The less common type, high ankle sprain, is often mistaken for a lateral sprain. Misdiagnosis can delay getting the proper treatment and that can impair recovery. Pain, swelling, limited motion and bruising in the entire ankle region can occur in both high ankle sprains and lateral sprains. The difference lies in where the injury occurs and which ligaments are involved.

In diagnosing an ankle sprain, it is important for us to understand how the injury occurred. Lateral sprains are caused by the foot turning inward, whereas high ankle sprains are the result of the foot being forced outward.

High ankle sprains can be more complicated because this region has five ligaments connecting two bones in the leg, compared with three ligaments that can be affected by a lateral sprain. The more ligaments involved and the worse they are torn, the more severe the injury.

Any time you see bruising in your ankle region or the inability to bear weight on your foot after an injury, it is best to make an appointment with me for an examination and evaluation. It is also important to remember that even though you can walk on an injured foot or ankle, that doesn’t mean there is not a severe injury present.