Specialist warns Lindsey Vonn could face amputation as extent of injuries revealed by doctor
A specialist knee expert has weighed in on alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn's injuries, claiming that she could face amputation.
The 41-year-old was appearing at her fifth Olympic Games when she suffered a huge crash during her run down the Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina.
Updating fans on social media earlier this week, Vonn said she had undergone a 'successful' third surgery, adding: "Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I'm making progress and while it is slow, I know I'll be ok."
During the crash, Vonn had careered out of control, hitting a slalom gate just 13 seconds in, before colliding with the ground.
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After the incident, she wrote: "My Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn't a story book 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 of the gate, twisting me and resulted 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."
Vonn added: "While yesterday 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 yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget."
Since the incident, experts have been weighing in on Vonn's injuries.
Orthopedic expert knee specialist Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottettold 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."
Meanwhile, a sports and family medicine professional with expertise in stem cells has explained the severity of the injury, which left Vonn screaming in pain on the piste.
Warning: Graphic Images
Jesse Morse, M.D., has spoken out about injuries to athletes in the NFL and the NBA in the past, and he described Vonn's leg break as a 'bad' fracture.
Taking to X, he wrote: "When she said she would need multiple surgeries she wasn’t kidding. She just completed her 3rd.
"When I say this was a ‘bad’ fracture I wasn’t kidding."
He then revealed what the injury is commonly known as: "This is called an external fixator (‘x-fix’) and is being used to help stabilise the fractured tibia (and maybe more)."
He then shared snaps of a similar injury, noting that 'it's not hers', but that it gives fans a good idea of how serious the fall was.
Topics: Sport, World News, Winter Olympics, Health
Lucy Devine