Are your favorite players sidelined, or is your fantasy team loosing players left and right from the infamous, seemingly common “high ankle sprain” If so, you may be wondering what a “high” ankle sprain actually is, and how it is different than a “regular” or traditional ankle sprain? Why can’t a high powered running back play through this injury?
The high ankle sprain is an injury to the syndesmotic ligament that connects the two bones in your lower leg (the tibia and fibula). It is called a “high” ankle sprain due to its location above the level of the ankle joint itself. The injury occurs with external rotation of the foot on the lower leg, which stresses the syndesmotic ligaments and can cause tears or even rupture. With too much strain in this direction, a high ankle fracture can occur.
Most traditional ankle sprains occur in the direction of inversion or internal rotation, opposite of the “high” ankle sprain. Another notable difference between the types of injury is the lack of bruising and swelling in the high sprain, unlike traditional ankle sprain which often swells and bruises quite rapidly.
Both types of ankle injuries are common in sports that utilize cleats, and/or are performed on artificial turf. Pain associated with this type of injury is located just above the ankle joint and can be exacerbated by squeezing the leg from side-to-side, or while performing sharp cutting motions while running which is why a running back could be sidelined for a couple of weeks from this injury. Depending on the severity of injury, the high-powered athlete can be sidelined up to 6 months!!!
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