Skeletal ligaments are highly organized, fibrous tissues that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments are large and easily seen or felt; others are small and subtle. All share the task of protecting the joints from instability and allowing normal motion to occur with minimal resistance. The orientation of a ligament relative to the plane of the joint it crosses determines its mechanical function. For example, the anterior talofibular ligament, the structure most commonly injured in an ankle sprain, attaches the distal fibula to the lateral side of the talus, sloping somewhat anteriorly as it courses toward its distal attachment. Thus,...
