2. A Ligament Tear
Another potential cause for a swollen ankle includes the potential of a ligament tear. To describe this in its most simple terms, a ligament tear is what happens when the ankle is sprained and stretched to its full capacity in the process. This is basically a very advanced version of a sprain: The ankle can be twisted or sprained when you put the wrong amount of pressure on it: This can happen when you exercise, this can happen when you walk, this can even commonly happen when you trip and fall.
There are a wide variety of things that can affect the potential of a torn or injured ligament – and a tear can even take place after a sprain. If you have torn a ligament instead, you can know that there will be immediate swelling and that you will be unable to move your ankle without pain – or at all.