We previously discussed when we turn our ankle in…now we need to look at when we turn it the other way.
Turning the ankle out does not occur as much as when we turn the ankle in. In fact, data show this happens between 5-10% of the time. We do see a lot more lateral ankle sprains, but we must be aware of medial ankle sprains and what to do with them. Why are there more lateral ankle sprains? Simply put, it’s a lot more unstable on the lateral side than the medial side. On the medial side, we have more ligaments, a larger weight bearing bone, ideally a proper arch, that even if reduced, helps support the medial side.
This begs the question: If it’s so much more stable, how can it turn outward? Generally speaking, this form of ankle sprain occurs more often when there is contact with another athlete. It also occurs when we are cutting/moving and the foot gets planted in the ground and our body goes across it. This can flatten out the arch and create a nasty valgus (ankle in, foot turns out) stress. This creates stress on the inside of the ankle as the body rolls over it, thus causing injury.
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