Ultrasonography (US) has been increasingly used in the evaluation of ankle ligamentous injuries given its advantages as a dynamic, efficient, noninvasive, and cost-effective imaging method. Understanding the anatomy of the ankle ligaments is critical for correct diagnosis and treatment. This pictorial essay describes and illustrates the US scanning technique and potential pitfalls in evaluating the ankle ligaments and also provides an overview of the US appearance of normal and injured ankle ligaments with magnetic resonance imaging correlation. Highlighted structures include the lateral complex, medial/deltoid complex, spring (calcaneonavicular) ligament complex, and syndesmosis.
Keywords: ankle; ligaments; magnetic resonance imaging; musculoskeletal; ultrasonography.
© 2018 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.