The ankle joint is made up of articulations between the tibia, fibula and talus bones. Sometimes referred to as the ankle “mortise” analogous to how bricks fit perfectly together, this joint can tolerate little incongruity. The ankle joint allows for plantar flexion and dorsiflexion of the foot and is responsible for transferring the force of the muscles of the leg into the foot for ambulation. The main ligaments that support the lateral ankle are the anterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament. The former being the most significant to resist anterior translation of the talus. The medial ankle supporting ligaments are collectively referred to as the deltoid ligament. This six ligament complex consists of two layers of three ligaments each. The deep deltoid layer is considered the most important.
