Lindsey Vonn’s need for immediate surgery after her Winter Olympics crash was crucial in preventing a severe outcome, according to an orthopedic surgeon.
The renowned American skier, age 41, underwent four surgeries in Italy following a leg fracture during the women’s downhill final earlier this month. She then had a fifth surgery upon her return to the United States.
A knee specialist had previously warned that injuries like Vonn’s have historically resulted in amputations, raising concerns about the potential for limb loss.
Thankfully, all five surgeries were successful, eliminating the risk of such a catastrophic event.
However, Nolan Horner, a leading orthopedic surgeon at Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Chicago, highlighted how close Vonn came to facing the worst possible outcome.
Horner explained to EFE, as reported by Marca, “When compartment syndrome is diagnosed, immediate surgical intervention is critical. Every passing hour increases the risk of permanent damage or even limb loss significantly.”
A top surgeon has revealed how close Lindsey Vonn was to losing her leg earlier this month
The American skiing legend suffered a broken left leg after crashing at the Winter Olympics
Horner, who has experience treating athletes from the NBA, MLB and other leading sports leagues, explained how Vonn suffered from ‘compartment syndrome’ before having her first surgery.
‘Compartment syndrome is basically when, due to increased pressure in a muscle compartment, the pressure within that compartment becomes so high that it cuts off the blood supply to the limb. That can cause permanent nerve damage in a limb,’ he continued.
‘It’s considered a surgical emergency, and if it’s not treated very quickly, it can lead to the death of muscle tissue, permanent nerve damage, or even, in severe cases, the loss of the limb.’
According to Horner, after rushing Vonn into surgery doctors opened up or released her fascia – which is a connective layer of tissue that separates muscles in the body.
‘When bleeding or very intense swelling starts in these muscle areas, the fascia contains all of that, and that’s what causes the pressure inside the compartment to start increasing,’ he said.
Opening or releasing the fascia ‘allows the muscles to expand freely’ and ‘relieves the pressure’, which saved Vonn from permanent nerve damage and subsequent amputation.
When asked to assess her recovery timeframe, Horner estimated that the Olympics hero won’t even be able to bear weight on her leg again for up to three months.
‘The fact that she’s an elite athlete greatly improves her chances of a very good outcome, but she certainly has a long road ahead,’ the surgeon admitted. ‘She’ll likely have an extended period where she’s not even allowed to put weight on that limb, to allow the fracture to heal properly.’
Vonn could have lost a leg if she didn’t go under the knife within two hours of the accident
He also added: ‘Realistically, to achieve her best possible outcome after a procedure like this, it could very easily take around a year.’
After finally leaving hospital earlier this week, Vonn stressed that the most ‘dark’ and ‘unrelenting’ battle of her recovery has only just begun.
‘Today was a hard day… my physical battle began the second I got hurt but the mental battle started today,’ she wrote on X the day after her hospital departure. ‘It hit me like a ton of bricks.
‘It’s a battle I’m used to because I’ve done it so many times. I have always learned from every injury. Each one has made me a better and stronger person in different ways… but the battle of the mind can be dark and hard and unrelenting.
‘Someone I care about said I am a “master at the psychological game of life…”
‘I don’t know if that’s true…. I do know hard days are coming but I will find a way back to the top of the mountain of life.’
