Ankle Inversion vs Eversion

Am I the only one that has trouble remembering inversion vs. eversion of the ankle? Just remember that the most common “rolling of the ankle injury” is inversion, i.e. that’s the most popular, or “in” version. The ankle sprain that can result is commonly a tear of the anterior talofibular ligament (abbreviated ATFL by cool ortho folks). This is MUCH more common than an eversion injury leading to tearing of the stronger medial deltoid ankle ligament. An inversion injury of the ankle can also cause a base of the 5^th metatarsal fracture, which makes sense since rolling that way puts pressure on the 5^th metatarsal. Always check for tenderness at the base of the 5^th metatarsal with ankle rolling injuries.