Causes

How do fractures of the ankle commonly happen?

Because the talus is locked in the ankle mortise the most common way an ankle gets broken is a severe twist. A common example would be skiing. Ankle fractures were common skiing injuries years ago. With older bindings the foot was trapped in the ski and the bending or rotating forces in a fall were transmitted to the ankle. With modern well-adjusted safety bindings the ski should release when the forces are too great but ankle fractures were common skiing injuries a few years ago.

The fractures occur when the weight of the body is on the affected side, the foot goes one way and the body goes another. Up and down movements at the ankle joint can be compensated for but sideways or rotational forces cannot. This will cause a fracture if they are forceful enough.