Understanding
Your Ankle
A Guide To It’s Key Parts
The Ankle
The ankle joint is a vital part of your body that acts like a hinge, allowing you to move smoothly and stay stable. This joint is incredibly strong—it can handle 1.5 times your body weight when you walk and up to eight times your weight when you run. But when something goes wrong, like a sprain or injury, it can affect how you move and cause significant pain.
How the Ankle Works
The ankle is made up of several important structures that work together:
- Bones and joints
- Ligaments and tendons
- Muscles
- Nerves
- Blood vessels
Each of these plays a role in helping your ankle move, stay stable, and function properly.
Muscles
Muscles around the ankle allow for different movements, like walking, running, and jumping. The calf muscles, for example, help push your foot down, while the muscles on the front of your ankle pull your foot upward. If these muscles become weak or injured, everyday movements can become painful or difficult.
Bones and Joints
Your ankle joint is formed by three main bones: the shinbone (tibia), the small bone next to it (fibula), and the ankle bone (talus). These bones fit together in a secure socket, allowing your foot to move up and down. The surfaces of these bones are covered with smooth cartilage, helping them glide without friction. When the cartilage is damaged or worn down, movement can become painful.
Ligaments and Tendons
Ligaments are strong tissues that connect bones to each other and help keep the ankle stable. The outer side of your ankle is supported by several key ligaments, including the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). Injuries to these ligaments, like sprains, can cause swelling and make it difficult to walk.
Tendons connect muscles to bones and help with movement. For example, the Achilles tendon is crucial for walking, running, and jumping, while other tendons help support the arch of your foot or allow you to lift and turn your foot.
Nerves and Blood Vessels
Nerves in the ankle are responsible for movement and sensation, while blood vessels supply nutrients to keep the joint healthy. The main nerves, such as the tibial nerve, ensure that your muscles work properly and that you can feel sensations like pressure or pain. Blood vessels like the dorsalis pedis artery supply oxygen and nutrients to the ankle and foot, keeping the tissues healthy.
Why Every Part Matters
The ankle is a complex joint where each part depends on the others to function properly. When one part is injured—like a ligament, tendon, or muscle—it can affect the entire joint, leading to pain, swelling, and difficulty moving. That’s why it’s essential to take care of your ankle, especially if you’ve experienced an injury, to avoid long-term problems.
ANKLE INJURIES
Click on each title to learn more:
Ankle Sprain
When the ligaments are overstretched, the ankle becomes swollen and painful, often with bruising that worsens over the next day. Without treatment, the injury leads to ongoing instability.
Ankle Impingement
Ankle impingement occurs when soft tissues around the ankle get pinched, causing pain. This often happens when the ankle is fully bent either upwards or downwards.
Osteochondritis Dissecans
OCD is a condition that affects the ankle joint, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. It can impact people of all ages and typically follows a twisting injury to the ankle.
Achilles Tendon Problems
The Achilles tendon, a critical connector between the calf muscles and the heel, plays a pivotal role in many activities like walking, running, jumping, and climbing.
Peroneal Tendon Problems
Peroneal tendon issues, especially around the outer ankle, are common among athletes and active individuals. These tendons, located behind the outer ankle bone are vital for movement.
Osteoarthritis of the Ankle
Osteoarthritis (OA) is often described as a “wear and tear” condition of the joints. In the ankle, it can either develop due to natural aging (primary osteoarthritis) or as a result of prior injury.
Peroneal Tendon Subluxation
Peroneal tendon subluxation is a condition affecting the outer part of your ankle, where the tendons responsible for stabilizing your foot may slip out of their normal position, causing discomfort or pain.