[pct-l] ROLLED & SPRAINED ANKLES - FOOT PLACEMENT

[abiegen at cox.net]

Diane wrote: 
> 
>My guess is it has nothing to do with whether you toe-in or toe-out or have 
>straight ahead feet when you walk. I believe it is poor balance and weak 
>ankles. 
> 

Eric wrote:
 
>Weak ankles, yes.  Weak from the damage of previous sprains.  My balance is fine, though. 
 
>I'm not an expert in biomechanics or anything so I can only speak about my own experience.

Everyone is probably right on this one. I'd like to add one more factor into the equation. A number of years ago I read an article about the biometrics of ankles. I've looked for the original article but can't find it so I will have to give you my best recollection.

In medical schools there is a pecking order when it comes to gross anatomy class as to the bodies that you get to work on. The upper classmen get the bodies that are slim and/or with interesting diseases or injuries, the lower classmen get the morbidly obese, etc. ones. The subject of this article was studying to be a physician's assistant so she was at the bottom of the list. What she got was ankles and feet. So when you get lemons you make lemonade, when you get feet, you, um do the best you can.

What she focused on was the ankle joint. Where the tibia meets the foot bones. She found it curious that some feet had two points of contact and some feet had three points of contact. What she found even more interesting was that most pairs of feet had one two-point ankle and one three-point ankle. The mechanics of the joint can be compared to that of a stool in that three points, or three legs of a stool, are much more stable than two points. 

If you will bear with a sports view of this, think of football. that wide receiver who runs out there at full speed and somehow is able to make a 90 degree turn at that speed probably has two of the more flexible two-point ankles. That guy playing on the line who is just supposed to stand rock solid and not let the opponents through probably has two of the three-point ankles.

She posited the hypothesis that humans are at an evolutionary crossroads as far as ankles go. There are advantages and disadvantages to both forms and they each have equal value at this point in our evolution. The two-point ankle is more flexible and allows a greater range of motion and faster changes in direction, but is more susceptible to damage. The three-point ankle is more solid but doesn't allow for quick changes in movement. It comes down to fight or flight;  one ankle is better for flight and the other is better for fight.

The woman in the article said that she was going to go on and design custom boots and shoes since people with both types of ankles actually require different support for each foot, something you can't get with any pair of shoes or boots off the shelf. I never heard anything more about this after the article but I would be very interested in a service like this, as I am sure most of you would be as well. I still haven't found the best pair of hiking shoes although I have a collection that flows out of my closet and onto the bedroom floor.

When I meet another hiker who has sprained an ankle I always ask them if they have sprained that same ankle before. The answer is always "yes." My answer is "yes" too. My right ankle rolls over  all the time. My left ankle is nice and solid.  Eric mentioned that his ankles are weak from previous sprains. It's likely that my right ankle and Eric's ankles are two-point ankles and that they started out that way and that was the cause for the first sprain.

What's the solution? Do the exercises that Piper recommends, or find some balance exercises on-line, and build up the muscles that support the ankle. Compensate with your stride and foot placement if that seems to work for you. Wear two different shoes for your different feet. Find that woman with the custom shoes ( I couldn't find anything further about it).

Please note, I am not a doctor (although I play one on certain occasions) so everything I report here is just what I read and thought it would be of interest to the hiking community.

TrailHacker
--
"When my ankles hurt, I can't think straight"
Abraham Lincoln