What Is a Lateral Ankle Ligament?
A lateral ankle ligament is any of the three tissue bands that connect one of the leg bones, the fibula, to the bones of the foot. These bands of tissue stretch from the end of the fibula in the leg to two separate bones in the foot. The ligaments are necessary to stabilize the ankle and allow it to endure the forces passed through it from the foot. These ligaments are the ligaments most commonly involved in ankle sprains. In anatomical vocabulary, lateral refers to features located on the outside of the body or away from the center of the body. Ligaments are a strong connective tissue that can withstand some stretching. They connect bones to other bones, as each lateral ankle ligament does. In this case, each lateral ankle ligament attaches to the end of the fibula. The end of the fibula is flared, and is visible as the bulge on the outside of the ankle.
