Q: I am a 43 years old woman having a broken ligament on the top of my foot as a result of a sprained ankle 3 months ago. What is a broken ligament?

A:The usual expression that we have for a ligament injury is a sprain. Sprains can be of three grades:

• Grade 1, when only a few fibers of the ligament are torn.
• Grade 2, is a more significant injury when many fibers of the ligament are torn; and
• Grade 3, when the ligament is completely torn.