Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s injury: What is a sprained ankle?

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence left Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering an apparent ankle injury.

While more testing expected today, it's unknown how long Lawrence will be out.

Here's are the types of ankle injuries common in football and how long it could take to heal if it is a sprained ankle.

What happened to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence?

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence needed assistance leaving the field with an apparent ankle injury during the fourth quarter of their NFL Week 13 Monday Night Football loss in overtime to the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported after the game that Lawrence sprained his ankle, according to initial testing, with additional testing expected.

Lawrence went down awkwardly as he was hit by Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and stayed down after his foot appeared to get stepped on by one of his offensive linemen, and then caught beneath him. Lawrence pounded the grass in frustration. Hendrickson took a knee.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) entered Monday night with aspirations of being the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but are now faced with uncertainty.

Favored by 10 in the lead-up to the game with Cincinnati, the Jaguars lost to the Bengals 34-31 in overtime.

What is a sprained ankle?

Kaltura

Embedded content: https://cfvod.kaltura.com/p/1825021/sp/182502100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_jrsolf61/version/100022/width/591/height/332

A sprained ankle is an injury that happens when you roll, twist or turn your ankle in an awkward way, according to the Mayo Clinic.

When that happens, it can stretch or tear the tough bands of tissue — ligaments — that help hold the ankle bones together.

Symptoms of a sprained ankle

Signs and symptoms of a sprained ankle vary depending on the severity of the injury, according to the Mayo Clinic. They may include:

• Pain, especially when you bear weight on the affected foot

• Tenderness when you touch the ankle

• Swelling

• Bruising

• Restricted range of motion

• Instability in the ankle

• Popping sensation or sound at the time of injury

What is the treatment for a sprained ankle?

Treatment for a sprained ankle depends on the severity of your injury, the Mayo Clinic said.

The treatment goals are to reduce pain and swelling, promote healing of the ligament, and restore function of the ankle.

The first goal is to decrease pain and swelling and protect the ligaments from further injury. This usually means adopting the classic RICE regimen — rest, ice, compression, and elevation, according to Harvard Health.

For severe injuries, a specialist in musculoskeletal injuries, such as an orthopedic surgeon or a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, may be needed. the Mayo Clinic said.

In rare cases, surgery is performed when the injury doesn't heal or the ankle remains unstable after a long period of physical therapy and rehabilitative exercise.

How long does it take a sprained ankle to heal?

How long it takes a sprained ankle to heal depends on the damage and how unstable the joint is, according to Harvard Health.

Sprained ankles are "graded" depending on their severity:

• Grade 1Ligament damage: Minimal stretching, no tearing.

• Symptoms: Mild pain, swelling, and tenderness. Usually no bruising. No joint instability. No difficulty bearing weight.

• Recovery time: 1-3 weeks

Grade 2

• Ligament damage: Partial tear

• Symptoms: Moderate pain, swelling, and tenderness. Possible bruising. Mild to moderate joint instability. Some loss of range of motion and function. Pain with weight bearing and walking.

• Recovery time: 3-6 weeks

Grade 3

• Ligament damage: Full tear or rupture

• Symptoms: Severe pain, swelling, tenderness, and bruising. Considerable instability, loss of function and range of motion. Unable to bear weight or walk.

• Recovery time: Up to several months or up to a year.

There are several types of ankle injuries

There are several types of ankle injuries that can happen, according to Penn State. Those include:

• Ankle sprain: Caused by stretching or tearing of one or more ligaments (structures that connect bones to bones). Most sprains result from accidental turning of the foot inward.

• Tendonitis: An inflammation of a tendon caused by overuse. Tendons connect muscles to bones.

• Fractures: Ankle injuries can sometimes result in fractures of the bones comprising the ankle joint. Many of these fractures can be treated without casting.

• Stress fractures: Develop over time as a result of overuse of the ankle.

Ankle injuries common in football

In the National Football League, lower extremity injuries, including ankle sprains and fractures, account for up to 60% of total injuries during a the season, according to National Library of Medicine.

Ankle injuries are the most common injuries that occur in football players, with only knee injuries found to be more common in certain analyses, the agency reported.

Besides time lost because of injury, traumatic ankle injuries are complicated by persistent pain, chronic instability, and games missed.

"It was found that ankle injuries hampered the performance of NFL players, even multiple years after the injury occurred,"  the National Library of Medicine concluded.

Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Kenny Pickett had ankle surgery

One of the types of ankle injuries is a high-ankle sprain. A recent example is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are losing quarterback Kenny Pickett for an undetermined amount of time.

Pickett is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a high right ankle sprain on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence on MNF: ankle injuries, treatment