You’ve probably heard of an ankle sprain, but did you know most of them are actually tears? While “sprain” is a common word for ankle injuries, it covers a range of damage, especially when ligaments and tendons get stretched past their limits. In fact, there are many tears in the foot and ankle that we at My Chicago Foot Expert want you to know about. Continue reading to learn about similar injuries to the classic ankle sprain.
Ligament Tears or Sprains
A ligament tear is what podiatrists classify as a sprain. One less common but more serious example of a tear is a high ankle sprain, which involves tears to the ligaments connecting the two lower leg bones above the ankle.
In the middle of the foot, there are also Lisfranc ligament tears, which twist or crush the midfoot bones. Whenever ligaments tear, you’ll feel the classic symptoms: pain, swelling, bruising, and a feeling of instability.
Tendon Tears
Tendons connect muscles to bone, so when they tear, the connection basically becomes overstretched or completely torn. We also use the term rupture. Here are some well-known (and not so known) foot tendon tears:
- Achilles Tendon Tears: This tear affects the largest tendon in your body at the back of your ankle. It often happens suddenly with a pop sound and sharp pain, so understandably, athletes miss a substantial amount of time from this type of injury.
- Posterior Tibial Tendon Tears: This tendon runs along the inside of your ankle and is key for supporting your foot’s arch. This can lead to your arch flattening or a condition called posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, which causes constant pain and swelling on the inside of your ankle.
- Peroneal Tendon Tears: These tendons run along the outside of your ankle and help you turn your foot outward. This can cause peripheral pain and a constant feeling of instability.
Plantar Plate Tear
The plantar plate (not literally a plate) is a thick cartilage structure at the bottom of your toe joints. It’s basically the toes’ ultimate stabilizer, stopping them from bending too far upwards and making sure they stay in line.
A plantar plate tear often results from repeated stress, having a second toe that’s longer than your big toe, wearing high heels, or other foot issues like bunions.
Symptoms: You might feel pain and tenderness right under the ball of your foot, sometimes like you’re walking on a pebble (much like Morton’s Neuroma), swelling, and, in advanced cases, a toe that starts to drift upward or create a gap between it and the next toe.
For any questions about foot health and wellness, reach out to the tenured staff at My Chicago Foot Expert by calling (773) 561-8100 or by clicking here to schedule an appointment with Cook County podiatrist Stavros O. Alexopoulos, DPM, in our modern, comfortable Ravenswood office today.