Lindsey Vonn's surgeon speaks out after specialist warns athlete could face amputation
Lindsey Vonn's surgeon has delivered an update on the skiing legend's situation after her horror injury at the Winter Olympics sparked fears that she could need an amputation.
The American alpine ski racer was recognised as a legend when she retired in 2019 as the most decorated woman in the history of the sport, but she announced a shock return in 2024 despite numerous leg injuries.
Vonn had already had a partial knee replacement before she suffered an ACL injury in her leg shortly before the games in Italy, but that didn't stop her from wanting to compete, as she no doubt sought to reclaim her title as the best of all time, after US compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin moved to the top of the medal list.
Sadly, the 41-year-old had to be airlifted to hospital after she struck a gate just 13 seconds into her downhill run, with the athlete later revealing that she'd suffered a complex tibia fracture in her left leg.
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There were already serious doubts about whether Vonn would ever be able to race professionally again, but further fears were brought to light when a specialist suggested that she may need to have the leg amputated. However, the surgeon has now provided a positive update on her health.
Stefano Zanarella, surgeon at Ca' Foncello Hospital in Trevis, told Corriere del Veneto: "We're proud to have handled a delicate situation, without neglecting other daily emergencies.
"The staff [are] trained and ready to intervene at any time, in fact, we approached this complicated case with a team of experts, coordinating every step of the recovery process, which we are satisfied with.
"The patient's words make us proud, also because we managed a delicate and ongoing medical situation. We put in the commitment we reserve for every patient, without being influenced by the fact that she is a champion.
"It's a high-intensity department. We perform five to six major trauma surgeries every day. Last weekend, we treated about 10 patients with fractures."
Vonn's recovery process is likely to be a long and gruelling one, with it likely to be months before she can walk without an aid, although even with the positive update from Zanarella, amputation may not be out of the question.
Orthopaedic expert knee specialist Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottettold had told RMC Sport [translated]: "The timeline is quite unpredictable. It will be months before she can walk normally again.
"Her goal now is first and foremost to keep her leg and be able to walk. I think we're not yet at the stage of returning to high-level skiing. We're not there yet, but some injuries like hers can end in amputation.
"... The latest images posted on her Instagram account show that, even though the surgeries were successful, the 'external fixator' - that is, the enormous pin they put in her left leg - proves that they haven't been able to fully repair her fracture.
"It's only temporary for now. It's important to understand that her injury is extremely serious and will cause her problems for at least months, and could even leave her with lifelong consequences."
Despite the potentially life-altering injury, Vonn clearly knew the risks of racing less than two weeks after a serious ACL injury, and suggests that she has 'no regrets' about competing.
She also suggested that the previous injury had nothing to do with her latest crash.
In an emotional statement, she said: "My Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn't a storybook ending or a fairy tale, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it.
"Because in Downhill ski racing, the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as five inches.
"I was simply five inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside the gate, twisting me and resulting in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.
"Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.
"While it did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate was an incredible feeling that I will never forget.
"Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport. And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall.
"Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don't achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.
"I hope if you take away anything from my journey, it's that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying. I believe in you, just as you believed in me. LV"
Topics: Winter Olympics
James Moorhouse