A grade 3 ankle sprain is a complete tear of one or more ankle ligaments. It causes significant swelling, tenderness, instability, and pain when the ankle is moved. The injured ligaments include the posterior talofibular, anterior talofibular, and calcaneofibular ligaments. Treatment may involve immobilization, physical therapy over a long period of time, and possible surgical reconstruction. Recovery from a grade 3 ankle sprain can take up to 9 months.

1. GRADE 3 ANKLE
SPRAIN
By: Lokella Medeiros and Kellsie
Fujimoto

2. What is the Injury?
Complete tear of the ligament. If the examiner pulls or
pushes on the ankle joint in certain movements, gross
instability occurs.
Significant swelling and tenderness
You become unstable
You may often need surgery for this severe injury

3. What Bony Structures are
Involved?
Tibia: The major bone
of the lower leg (inside
bump of the ankle)-
Lateral Malleolus
Fibula: The smaller
bone (Outer bump of
the ankle)-Medial
Malleolus
Talus: The top bone of
the foot - Dorsal Aspect

4. What Ligaments are
Involved?
Posterior Talofibular Ligament
Anterior Talofibular Ligament
Calcaneofibular Ligament

5. What are the initial signs
and symptoms?
Swelling: due to increase fluid in tissue
Pain: throbbing and sore when pressed or moved in
certain directions
Redness and Warmth: cause by increase blood flow to
the area
Instability

6. What Aspect of the leg is
this Injury?
Lateral Aspect

7. Treatments
Immobilization
Physical therapy similar to
that for grade 2 sprains
(range-of-motion and
stretching/ strengthening
exercises) but over a long
period of time
Possible surgical
reconstruction

8. Prognosis
Depending on the severeness of the
ankle sprain, once the patient can
walk without pain, they need to
maintain exercising to keep the
strength and flexibility of ankle
Automatic Surgery
Rehab
Up to 9 months of recovery which
will include surgery

9. Works Cited
"Sprained Ankle - OrthoInfo - AAOS." Sprained Ankle - OrthoInfo - AAOS. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00150>.
"TeensHealth." Ankle Sprains. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. <http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/ankle_sprains.html>.
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