A lateral ankle injury is one of the most common injuries, however less than 50% of people seek treatment for them. A lateral ankle injury happens when the ankle gets rolled to excess towards the body, placing a large amount of stress on the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. With enough force these ligaments can tear. Symptoms of a lateral ankle injury can include: swelling, bruising, tenderness, inability to weight bear and instability. There are a number of risk factors for developing an ankle sprain.