Lower limb: lateral ankle ligaments: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Lower limb: lateral ankle ligaments

Sample item

A 22-year-old basketball player inverts his plantar-flexed foot on landing. There is swelling and tenderness just anterior and inferior to the lateral malleolus, and the anterior drawer test of the ankle is positive. Which ligament is most likely torn?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Anterior talofibular ligament

The anterior talofibular ligament is the weakest of the lateral ligaments and is the one most often injured in inversion sprains, particularly with the foot plantar-flexed, when it is under greatest tension. The calcaneofibular ligament is torn with more severe injuries and the posterior talofibular ligament rarely.

Option by option

  • A. Calcaneofibular ligament

    The calcaneofibular ligament is injured next and usually only with more severe inversion, when the ankle is dorsiflexed.

  • B. Anterior talofibular ligament (correct)

    The anterior talofibular ligament is the ligament most commonly torn in inversion injuries of the ankle.

  • C. Deltoid ligament

    The deltoid ligament lies medially and is injured by eversion, not inversion.

  • D. Posterior talofibular ligament

    The posterior talofibular ligament is the strongest and is torn only in gross dislocation.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anatomy questions

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is B, Anterior talofibular ligament. The anterior talofibular ligament is the weakest of the lateral ligaments and is the one most often injured in inversion sprains, particularly with the foot plantar-flexed, when it is under greatest tension.

Why is "Calcaneofibular ligament" not the answer?

The calcaneofibular ligament is injured next and usually only with more severe inversion, when the ankle is dorsiflexed.

Why is "Deltoid ligament" not the answer?

The deltoid ligament lies medially and is injured by eversion, not inversion.

Why is "Posterior talofibular ligament" not the answer?

The posterior talofibular ligament is the strongest and is torn only in gross dislocation.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Lower limb: lateral ankle ligaments in Anatomy. The calcaneofibular ligament is torn with more severe injuries and the posterior talofibular ligament rarely.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Lower limb: lateral ankle ligaments?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.