The congenital ball-and-socket ankle joint is a rare condition and is associated with congenital shortening of the lower extrimity and various skeletal abnormalities of the foot. This disease entity was reported in the German literature by Politzer in 1931 and in the English literature by Lamb in 1958. Several series have been reported since, suggesting that the condition may not be as rare as generally thought. This case is, to our knowledge, the first reported in this country.