[Anatomy of the ligaments of the upper ankle joint]

The ankle joint is stabilized by a specialized system of ligaments. These are the medial and lateral collateral ligaments and the anterior and posterior syndesmoses, the arrangement and orientation of which can only be understood in terms of function. In the vast majority of cases, injury involves the fibular capsuloligamentous apparatus which, according to anatomical and intra-operative findings, exhibits considerable anatomical variability, recognition of which is a prerequisite for the correct diagnosis and therapy of such lesions.