Studies have estimated that about 23,000 ankle sprains occur each day in the United States.
Athletes are particularly at risk because the ankle sprain is the most common injury in sports.
Forty-five percent of the injuries in basketball, for example, are reported to be ankle injuries, and 31 percent of soccer injuries are to the ankle. Dealing with ankle injuries can be a major challenge for coaches and athletic trainers. The ankle is a hinge joint formed by the junction of the tibia and fibula, two long leg bones, with the talus. The weaker lateral ligaments are involved in the majority of ankle sprains. There are fewer injuries to the medial complex involving the deltoid ligament, but these are more severe and require more time to heal.