You may have heard various athletes suffering a high ankle sprain or injuring their syndesmosis. But what exactly is a syndesmosis injury? And how does it differ to a normal lateral ankle sprain?

The ankle syndesmosis is the joint between the distal (lowest aspect) of your tibia and fibula. It is comprised by three main supporting ligamentous structures – The Anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament, Posterior inferior Tibiofibular ligament, and interosseous membrane (see Figure 1). The role of the syndesmosis is to provide stability to the tibia and fibula and resist separation of these two bones during weightbearing tasks. It also plays a role in assisting with mobility of the ankle.