What is the scientific name for the ankle bone?

Three bones form the ankle: the tibia (the shin bone), the fibula (a smaller bone along the shin bone) and the talus (a bone sitting above the heel bone). The bony protrusion on the inside of the ankle is the medial malleolus, the bony protrusion on the back of the ankle is the posterior malleolus, and the bony protrusion on the outside of the ankle is the lateral malleolus.

The medial malleolus and posterior malleolus are parts of the base of the tibia, and the lateral malleolus is the low part of the fibula. When the ankle bone is fractured, it's generally a fracture of the tibia or fibula.