Ankle Sprains & Special Tests
Ankle sprains made simple, plus fifteen ankle and foot special tests on one clean, color-coded reference sheet. Built for athletic training students, clinicals, and anyone studying for boards.
The sprain page breaks down lateral, high ankle, and medial sprains: mechanism, the ligaments involved, and which tests to run. It also covers Grades I–III at a glance, the Ottawa ankle and foot rules, a memory trick for the lateral ligaments, a day-5 retest pearl, a return-to-play check, and the mistakes students make most often.
Each test on the grid shows a clinical photo, the structure it assesses, what the test is for, and what counts as a positive finding. Tests are grouped by structure:
- Lateral ligaments: Anterior drawer, Talar tilt
- High ankle: Squeeze, Kleiger, Cotton
- Fracture screen: Ottawa ankle, Ottawa foot, Bump test
- Achilles: Thompson
- Plantar & nerve: Windlass, Tinel's (tarsal tunnel), Mulder's
- Arch & tib post: Navicular drop, Too-many-toes, Single-leg heel raise
What you get: a cover page with four core exam principles, the Ankle Sprains Made Simple page with anatomy renders, and the full 15-test grid. Download as a PDF to print or keep on your phone.
Sourced from the NATA position statement on ankle sprains, the Ottawa ankle rules research, Magee & Manske, and the original research on each test.
Jena K. Phillips, LAT · Core Elite Health Services LLC
For educational use. Not a substitute for individualized clinical evaluation.