Lateral ankle sprains are the most common lower limb musculoskeletal injury incurred by individuals who participate in sports and recreational physical activities, and as such, the ‘simple ankle sprain’ constitutes a substantial healthcare burden. In their 2019 consensus statement on the clinical assessment of acute lateral ankle sprain injuries, the International Ankle Consortium describe a pragmatic minimum standard clinical diagnostic assessment for acute lateral ankle sprain patients. The objective of this lecture is to inform clinicians on how to correctly perform this diagnostic assessment.

Learning Objectives:
After viewing this lecture, you should be able to:
1. Understand the importance of establishing the mechanism of an acute lateral ankle sprain
2. Describe the Ottawa Ankle and Midfoot Rules
3. Understand how to implement the Ottawa Ankle and Midfoot Rules in day-today clinical practice
4. Understand the mechanical implications of anterior talofibular ligament injury
5. Understand the mechanical implications of calcaneofibular ligament injury
6. Understand how to assess the anterior talofibular ligament
7. Understand how to assess the calcaneofibular ligament
8. Describe the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for syndesmosis injury
9. Understand how to assess for syndesmosis injury