MILAN — Lindsey Vonn said her recent surgery went well and she hopes to be able to leave the hospital soon.
The surgery on Wednesday, February 18, took just over six hours, and photos of her left leg showed more than a dozen screws. Vonn suffered a compound tibia fracture in a collision during the Olympic downhill race on February 8th.
“As you can see, it took a lot of plates and screws to put it back together, but Dr. Hackett did an amazing job,” Vonn wrote on Instagram, referring to her longtime orthopedic surgeon, Tom Hackett.
“Due to the extent of the trauma, I’m having a bit of a hard time post-surgery and haven’t been able to leave the hospital yet,” she added. “We’re almost there. Baby steps.”
Vonn also posted a photo of herself being taken to the operating room in a wheelchair, the fifth time since the accident. She gave a victory sign and a fist pump while holding a stuffed shark she received when she was hospitalized in an Italian hospital.
Vonn was hospitalized in Italy for eight days and returned to the United States earlier this week.
What happened to Lindsey Vonn?
Bong hooked the fourth gate with his right arm and spun into the hard-packed snow. She fell several times before stopping.
“Things happen so fast in this sport,” American teammate Vera Wright said after the race. “Lindsay seemed to have incredible speed coming out of that turn and ended up catching her arm.”
The three-time Olympic medalist remained face down in the snow and screams of pain could be heard. Fans’ gasps and groans died down to a shocked silence as medical workers treated her. Vonn remained on course for approximately 13 minutes before being loaded onto a helicopter.
What is Lindsey Vonn’s injury?
In an Instagram post on February 9, Vonn shared the shocking news that she had suffered a compound fracture of her tibia and would need multiple surgeries. The 41-year-old updated her fans on February 11 after undergoing her third surgery in Italy, and also posted some scary photos showing her progress. Vonn, who returned to the United States on February 17, said her injuries were “much more serious than just a broken leg.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around what that means and what’s to come,” Vonn wrote. “But we will provide further details in the coming days.”
A tibia fracture is a fracture of the shin bone that requires urgent treatment. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “The tibia is some of the strongest bones in the body, and it typically takes significant force to break it.” “If you fracture your shin bone, you probably won’t be able to stand, walk, or put any weight on your foot.”
According to Yale Medicine, a compound fracture involves the fracture of multiple bones and damaged soft tissue. Symptoms include extreme pain, numbness, and in some cases, bones may protrude through the skin. Treatment includes stabilization and surgery.
Lindsey Vonn Accident Video
NBC broadcast the Olympics and posted video of Vonn’s crash.
USA TODAY Sports’ Samantha Cardona-Norberg provides commentary in the aftermath of Lindsday Vonn’s crash.
Fans fell silent as soon as Vonn crashed, reacting with shock and sadness, then cheering as a helicopter hoisted her into the sky. USA TODAY Sports spoke to some fans after the accident.
Is Lindsey Vonn okay?
After the crash, Vonn was clearly in pain but was able to move her arms, head and neck.
Approximately 18 minutes after the crash, the helicopter slowly began its flight towards Cortina. “Let’s hear from Lindsey Vonn!” the American announcer said as the helicopter flew away with her, and the crowd cheered and applauded.
Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow was on the downhill course today and told an NBC reporter during a live broadcast:
“That was definitely something we didn’t want to see happen and it happened so fast. When something like that happens, you just hope she’s okay right away. And then when you start seeing the stretcher being taken out, it was scary because that’s not a good sign,” Kildow said. “But she really…she was very brave and gave it her all. So it’s really hard to tell, but we really hope she’s okay.”
“She has all her surgeons and PT staff here, as well as her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll see her wherever she is at the hospital.”
Lindsey Vonn suffers anterior cruciate ligament tear
It was the second time in recent weeks that Vonn had left the summit by helicopter. She suffered a complete rupture of her left anterior cruciate ligament, a torn meniscus and bone contusions in a downhill accident on January 30, the last World Cup event before the start of the Olympics.
Vonn has had her right knee partially replaced and is also skiing. She was dominating the sport even before her accident, finishing on the podium in all five downhill races this season and winning two of them.
Despite her recent injury, Vonn was determined to compete in her fifth and final Olympics. She said her knee feels stable and strong and has been doing intensive rehabilitation, pool training, weightlifting and plyometrics over the last week. She skied both training runs and had the third fastest time on the second run before it was canceled due to fog and snow.
Lindsey Vonn suffers anterior cruciate ligament tear
Vonn, 41, skied in her fifth Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2026). She won three medals at the Olympics (1 gold, 2 bronze).
