Ouch: Connecting ankle sprains and articulations of the skeletal system

For the next week, we will be focusing on and learning about different articulations (joints) in the human body. Furthermore, we will start the muscular system soon and having a working understanding of the different articulations, especially amphiarthrosis and diarthrosis joints, will help you understand gross muscle anatomy and movement much better. 

This post is about sprains, specifically an ankle sprain, and connects well with lecture and laboratory. Further at the bottom of this post, I've collected a few good resources on sprains if you are interested. 

Sprains

Everybody can relate to twisting their ankle, limping around, and dealing with a sprain. Go ahead, think about the last time you twisted your ankle and start to picture the tibia, fibula, and calcaneous bone that we have already gone over. What happened? What causes you to limp? Why does the ankle become inflamed and why do most sprains take so long to heal?

First, what is a sprain? A sprain occurs when ligaments are stretched to the point where some of the collagen fibers are torn, but ultimately the entire ligament remains intact. Let's look at the gross anatomy of the ankle joint. 

This figure is from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://1.usa.gov/1hg4CaE

So lets look at some of possible ligaments involved in a sprain: 
The Posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament
     Remember to break down the roots of the words: 

• Posterior = back
• Inferior = below
• tibiofibular = tibia and fibula

Just based on the word (posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament) you should have a very good sense of where the ligament is connected. 

Quick Review

1. Based on mobility, what are the three different types of joints in the body?
2. What are the major components (parts) of a synovial joint?

Resources on Sprains

• A collection of good resources on ankle sprains from the Well Blog and other articles from the New York Times

1.  After a Sprain, Don’t Just Walk It Off
2. Ankle Pain Resources from the New York Times
3. Ankle Sprains are Common but Not So Simple from the New York Times

• Questions about Strains and Sprains by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease
• A nice slide show of cartoons about the difference between moderate to severe ankle sprains
• National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Conservative Management and Prevention of Ankle Sprains in Athletes