If you twist your ankle, it may swell up and hurt. This is usually a sign that the ankle is sprained. In other words, one or more ankle ligaments and the surrounding tissue are injured. Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries.
Ligaments are tough elastic bands of connective tissue that join bones in the joint to each other. Because the ankle joint is made up of many bones, there are also several ligaments that stabilize it.
