What is the most common type of ankle fracture?

The most common type of ankle fracture is a lateral malleolus fracture. This type of fracture typically occurs due to an inversion injury to the ankle, where the foot rolls inward, causing stress on the lateral (outer) aspect of the ankle. The lateral malleolus is part of the fibula, which is the smaller of the two bones of the lower leg.

Lateral malleolus fractures are prevalent because they often occur in conjunction with common sporting injuries or falls. These types of fractures can vary from minor to more severe and are assessed based on displacement and whether they involve the syndesmosis, the fibrous joint between the two bones of the lower leg.

In contrast, while medial malleolus fractures also occur frequently, especially in certain types of accidents, they are not as ubiquitous as lateral malleolus fractures. Tibial tuberosity fractures and spiral fractures are less common in the context of ankle injuries. The tibial tuberosity is associated more with growth plate injuries or knee injuries rather than the ankle, and spiral fractures typically imply a twisting injury affecting longer bones, which is less characteristic of common ankle fractures.