Anatomy Def: Bony projection at either side of the ankle joint – shaped like the head of a hammer.
Outlander Def: Bree’s bruised and swollen knob (red arrow) at the outside of her ankle joint. Och!
Learn about the malleoli (pl.) in Anatomy Lesson #59, Sweet Feet.
Most folks refer to the knobs on each side of the ankle as “ankle bones.” However, each is the knobby end of a leg bone. The outside knob or lateral malleolus is the distal end of the fibula and the inside knob or medial malleolus is the distal end of the tibia. Together, both bony ends form a box-like space into which fits the talus, a bone of the foot and, voilà, I give you the ankle joint!
Walking, running, jumping or falling (and more) stresses the ligaments securing these bones. Stretching or tearing the ligaments and associated blood vessels produces various degrees of ankle sprain.
Bree’s injury involves ligaments around her lateral malleolus and is likely a level II ankle sprain. Symptoms are:
- moderate pain ✅
- swelling ✅
- bruising ✅
- tenderness to touch ✅
- painful walking ✅
Watch again and see if Bree demos all the above. Yep, she does! All the symptoms are present, so verra likely a Level II. Puir lass!
Read: Bree doesn’t sprain her ankle in Drums of Autumn (DOA), but Diana does write about ankles……other people’s ankles, that is:
I shifted my glassy gaze from the hairy ankles in front of my nose, to the roof overhead. Sure enough, torchlight revealed the black line of a split in one shingle, with a spreading dark patch of dampness on the underside.
The above quote is from a very funny scene in DOA, but to reveal more would be a spoiler for some. Grand advice: read the books!
See Bree’s sprained ankle and appreciate the painful injury of her lateral malleolus in Starz ep 407, Down the Rabbit Hole.
Naturally, her sprain leads to even more peril at the hands of Laoghaire. Gah! Talk about adding insult to injury!
The deeply grateful
Outlander Anatomist
