Mayo Clinic Minute: Ankle sprains 101

"Each year over a million people have new ankle sprains, and these are just the people who came to seek medical help," says Dr. Glenn Shi, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon. "There are far more [sprains] that people are treating at home."

The ankle is quite a well-engineered joint, actually. But, because it's a balancing act to carry the full weight of the body on three bones atop the foot, Dr. Shi says, "An injury can happen anytime an athlete gets on the field or to anyone just walking down the street. In fact, ankle sprains among high school athletes are the most common injury that they see."

Still, there are ways to reduce the risk, particularly if you understand how the ankle is put together.

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