At Michigan Foot & Ankle Institute in Clinton Township, MI, our skilled, board-certified podiatrists and foot and ankle surgeons help patients find the true cause of their foot and ankle pain.
We’re here to provide both answers about your diagnosis and effective treatment strategies tailored to your needs. An ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments that support the ankle stretch excessively or tear.
A lateral inversion sprain, the most common kind of ankle sprain, happens when the ankle rolls inward. This type of injury overstretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, most often the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), leading to pain along the outer ankle.
Less common is the eversion ankle sprain. It's the opposite of the lateral inversion sprain, and affects the deltoid ligament complex in the inner (medial) ankle. This causes pain in the inner ankle.
The rarest type of ankle sprain is the syndesmotic sprain affecting the ligaments just above the ankle joint, particularly the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament. These sprains, known as high ankle sprains, cause pain above the ankle.
Common signs of a sprain include:
Sprains can range from mild to severe.
A fracture is a broken bone. Each foot and ankle has 26 bones, and any of them can potentially sustain a fracture. Fractures can be traumatic, for example, a broken ankle that happens in a trip and fall accident, or can develop after repeated stress over time (stress fractures).
A traumatic fracture and sprain may have similar symptoms. Some of the signs that it could be a fracture versus a sprain are:
Swelling, bruising, and pain occur with both sprains and fractures. Although fractures typically hurt more, the pain level alone isn’t a reliable way to diagnose the injury. With certain fractures, you can still move the foot almost normally, which is why imaging and expert evaluation matter.
Resting at home and waiting it out may seem reasonable at first, but untreated fractures or severe sprains can heal improperly.
Leaving a sprain or fracture untreated could lead to chronic pain, ankle instability, or post-traumatic arthritis. Research shows that as many as four in ten ankle sprains don’t fully resolve, leading to ongoing pain, swelling, or instability that can last a year or longer after the initial injury.
You should schedule an appointment if:
The earlier you see help for a sprain or fracture, the faster you can get back to your life and the lower the chance of reinjury.
At Michigan Foot & Ankle Institute, our team performs hands-on exams and uses state-of-the-art imaging technology to diagnose your foot or ankle injury promptly so you can get on the healing path. We offer extended hours so you don't have to wait for help.
If you’ve injured your foot or ankle and aren’t sure what you’re dealing with, don’t wait. Call 586-999-9953 to make your appointment in our convenient Clinton Township office.
