Anatomy of the Ankle

By Alex Hairston
 The ankle Joints
The ankle is composed of two joints,
the true ankle joint and the subtalar
joint. The true ankle joint is composed
of three bones. It is composed of the
Tibia, the Fibula, and the talus. The
true ankle joint is responsible for the
up and down movement of the foot.
The tibia (also known as the chin bone)
forms the inside portion of the ankle.
The fibula forms the outside of the
ankle, and the talus is underneath. The
subtalar joint is under the true ankle
joint and consists of the talus on top
and calcaneus on the bottom. The
subtalar joint is responsible for the
side-to-side motion of the foot.
 The Major Ligaments
The major ligaments of the ankle are:
the anterior tibiofibular ligament
(connecting the tibia to the fibula), the
lateral collateral ligaments (attaching
the fibula to the calcaneus to give the
outside of the ankle stability), and the
deltoid ligaments on the inside of the
ankle (connecting the tibia to the talus
and calcaneus and providing medial
stability to the ankle).
When good times go bad.
A sprained ankle is a very common
injury. Approximately 25,000 people
experience it each day. A sprained
ankle can happen to athletes and non-
athletes, children and adults. It can
happen when you take part in sports
and physical fitness activities. It can
also happen when you simply step on
an uneven surface, or step down at an
angle. The ligaments of the ankle hold
the ankle bones and joint in position.
They protect the ankle joint from
abnormal movements-especially
twisting, turning, and rolling of the
foot. A ligament is an elastic structure.
Ligaments usually stretch within their
limits, and then go back to their normal
positions. When a ligament is forced to
stretch beyond its normal range, a
sprain occurs. A severe sprain causes
actual tearing of the elastic fibers.
 Treatments
A cast is usually done after a few days,
unless the swelling is minimal and it
may be done early after the injury. A
cast is made either of plaster or
fiberglass. Plaster molds to the skin
better, and is preferred if the cast is
needed to hold the broken bone in a
specific place. If the fracture is not
unstable, or if some healing has taken
place, a fiberglass cast may be used.
The fiberglass is lighter weight and
more resilient to wear.
 Treatment (cont.)
Crutches are important, because
almost all types of ankle fractures will
require some level of immobilization
and rest following the injury.
Sometime, patients will not be able to
place any weight on the ankle for
several months, other times within
days to weeks. Determining when you
can place weight on the broken ankle
depends on the type of ankle fracture;
this will have to be discussed with your
doctor.
Treatment (cont.)
Surgery is needed for many types of
ankle fractures. While not always
necessary, surgery for ankle fractures
is not uncommon. The need for
surgery depends on the appearance of
the ankle joint on X-ray and the type of
ankle fracture present. Achieving AND
maintaining alignment of the broken
ankle is of utmost importance. Arthritis
is common after an ankle fracture, and
the best way to reduce the risk of
arthritis is to obtain a normal looking
ankle joint. If surgery is needed to
achieve this goal, your doctor may
recommend an operation.
Personal experiences
When I broke my ankle, I rolled over
the ball and fell, putting all the
pressure on my fibula. This also caused
me to endure a very severe ankle
sprain. To fix my sprain/fracture, the
doctor had to use re-construction on
the ligaments, which is when a
surgeon repairs the torn ligament with
stitches or suture, or uses other
ligaments and/or tendons found in the
foot and around the ankle to repair the
damaged ligaments. In my case, the
surgeon reattached my ligaments to
the bone with suture.