The Dreaded “High” Ankle Sprain

The Dreaded “High” Ankle Sprain

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Dr. Moorthy explains the difference between a high ankle sprain and a standard sprain?

We hear about it all the time in our favorite sports. Rather than just a sprain and he/she will be back soon, the term high ankle sprain gets mentioned and you know the athlete is out for an extended period of time.


So what’s a high ankle sprain? What’s the mechanism and why does it take so much longer to recover from? Check out my “Ask the Doctor” segment from Cal-Hi Sports video above and read below!



The rehab from these sprains generally takes much longer than a typical ankle sprain. These ligaments take a lot of stress with weight-bearing and need sufficient time to rest prior to starting any major weight-bearing rehab. Oftentimes, immobilization with a walking boot or cast can be helpful, followed by a structured rehab program. But return to play generally takes 4-8 weeks with the high ankle sprain vs. the 1-4 weeks with a more typical lateral ankle sprain.
