Overview
Knowing whether an ankle injury is a break or a sprain is essential to getting back on your feet. Left untreated, ankle injuries can cause chronic pain and limit your mobility.
A sprain happens when you stretch or tear a ligament, which is the tissue that connects two bones and stabilizes your joints. With a mild sprain, you have an overextended ligament, but the ankle joint remains stable. If it’s a severe sprain, your ligaments may tear completely and separate from the bone.
A broken or fractured ankle occurs when one or more of the bones in your ankle chips, cracks or breaks completely. There are two main types of fractures. A closed fracture is when the bone is broken but your skin remains intact. If the broken bone pokes through the skin or is exposed by a deep wound, it’s an open fracture that needs emergency treatment.







