Ankle and Foot Anatomy
Need to know what you hurt? Below you will find information about foot and ankle physiology.
Ankle Terminology | Ankle Injuries | Foot Terms | Foot Injuries | Ankle Bone Structure
Tips on buying and using ankle supports and braces:
- braces should not normally be used as a permanent solution for your injury. They are meant to give you protection from further injury when you are already hurt. Consult a doctor!
- do not buy braces that use metal components for support.
- get braces with velcro and nylon straps that wrap your ankle – similar to a tape job. These are the best for support.
always try on the brace before buying
- wear 2 pair of socks to avoid blisters.
- rehab your injury by writing your abc’s with your toes and eventually moving up to using a wobble board and wedge stretcher
anterior: the front.
arch: the portion of the bottom of the foot that does not touch the ground. The precise technical term is metatarsal arch.
ball: the swelling at the inner side of the foot where the big toe joins the head of the first metatarsal bone. This is the main line of flex for the foot and is sometimes referred to as the joint.
dorsum: the top of the foot.
dorsiflex: the upward flexing of the foot so that the upper portion of the foot (also known as the dorsum) approaches nearer to the leg.
lateral: the outer side of the foot. An easy way to remember this is that when you are moving laterally, you are moving side-to-side.
medial: the inner side of the foot. An easy way to remember this is that the medial side of the foot is at the median line of the body.
plantar: the bottom or sole of the foot.
plantar flex: the downward flexing of the foot so that the forefoot moves further away from the leg.
posterior: the back.
- subtalar joint, true ankle joint, tibia (malleolus), fibula, talus, calcaneus, articular cartilage, anterior tibiofibular, lateral collateral ligaments, deltoid ligaments, Talo-Fibular Ligament, Calcaneal-Fibular Ligament, Posterior Talo-Fibular Ligament
Ankle Injuries
- Symptoms: acute ankle sprain, chronic ankle sprains, Numbness, Popping/Snapping, Swelling, Stiffness, Weakness, Instability (Giving Away), Pain
There are 3 levels of ankle injury. You can view these and see how bad your injury is, but you should always consult a doctor for true diagnosis.
Grade 1 sprained ankle:
- usually you can play through this type of sprain
- Some stretching or perhaps minor tearing of the lateral ankle ligaments.
- Little or no joint instability.
- Mild pain – immediate pain that fades.
- There may be mild swelling around the bone on the outside of the ankle.
- Some joint stiffness or difficulty walking or running
Grade 2 sprain injury:
- Moderate tearing of the ligament fibres.
- constant pain for 24-48hrs after the injury
- Some instability of the joint.
- Moderate to severe pain and difficulty walking.
- Swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint.
- Minor bruising may be evident, usually on the outside of the ankle.
- consult a doctor for treatment
Grade 3 ankle sprain:
- Total rupture of a ligament.
- Gross instability of the joint.
- Severe pain initially followed later by no pain.
- Severe swelling – the first time the ligaments are torn
- bruising often on both the outside and inside of the foot
- consult a doctor for treatment and rehab!
Immediate treatment of an ankle injury:
Immediately after your injury you should: RICE Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
24-48 hours – keep up this routine: Rest with your ankle above your heart. Ice your injury on both sides of the ankle every few hours. Your ankle should be compressed at all times using an ace bandage. This will keep the swelling down. Elevating your ankle will also reduce swelling. Also draw circles with your toes as much as possible in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. This will help keep your joint “mobile”. Consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Foot Anatomy
- calcaneus, Achilles tendon, plantar fascia (arch),
Foot Injuries
plantar fasciitis: this painful condition is caused by an inflammation of the thick, fibrous band of tissue that reaches from the heel to the toes (learn more about this condition at OnHealth.com).
Sesamoiditis: One of the less common foot injuries normally caused by overused basketball shoes. It affects the forefoot/ ball of the foot at the big toe. Its most common symptom is pain in the ball-of-the-foot, especially on the medial or inner side. Sesamoiditis can be treated with a custom metatarsal arch pad.
- Achilles rupture, plantar fasciitis, turf toe, jammed toe, Achilles bursitis, broken foot bone.
