Imago
Credits – Instagram / @lindseyvonn
Imago
Credits – Instagram / @lindseyvonn
Essentials Inside The Story
- After Lindsey Vonn shared her post-surgery X-ray results, injury experts are revealing more gruesome future for her
- Vonn was already participating in the Winter Olympics after an ACL tear in the same leg's knee
- There may be more surgeries awaiting the 41-year-old
American Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn suffered one of the most brutal injuries in the history of the Winter Olympics. So much so that she had six surgeries just to stabilize her left leg. As she awaits further surgeries, NFL injury and board-certified sports medicine expert Dr. Jesse Morse has made a bold claim on the X-ray result she shared recently.
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“Looks like a severe proximal tibia fracture,” Morse tweeted. “Tibial plateau fracture + Metaphyseal/Tibial Shaft fracture. Appears that fibula is intact. Unclear if the femur was involved.
“Based on initial photos, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an open wound and possible fasciotomy due to compartment syndrome.”
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In the X-ray image Vonn shared, her tibia, a bone in the lower leg, is pinned together with the help of plates and screws. Fibula, another bone in the lower leg alongside the tibia, looking intact, provided momentary relief. However, there may be a possibility that moving ahead, she will need a complete ACL reconstruction.
Morse further added in the comments that there’s a fracture in the proximal end of the fibula, which was not surgically addressed. Vonn’s doctors may operate on it later, looking to salvage the bigger parts first, or they may leave it to repair naturally.
“Additionally, there is a very important nerve that wraps around the head of that fibula called the peroneal nerve that sometimes gets injured with this type of fracture. This often leads to foot drop,” Morse further claimed.
Foot drop is a neurological, muscular, or anatomical issue where one is unable to lift the front of their feet, dragging toes as they walk. In Vonn’s case, if the peroneal nerve is damaged, she may have this temporarily or permanently. They can be fixed through physiotherapy, which the skier will need to take anyway to rehab properly.
Seeing how she returned from her Crans-Montana crash within a week to participate in the Milan Olympics, there’s no doubt she can tackle this as well.
Lindsey Vonn shares her actual X-rays post 6+ surgeries!!!
Looks like a severe proximal tibia fracture.
Tibial plateau fracture + Metaphyseal/Tibial Shaft fracture
Appears that fibula is intact.
Unclear if the femur was involved.
Based on initial photos, I wouldn’t be… https://t.co/ECqw3BSZaL
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) February 20, 2026
The accident that led to six surgeries for Vonn happened only 13 seconds into her skiing downhill run during the Milano Cortina Games. When she pushed out of the gate of Olympia delle Tofane course for the first race, even before reaching the first course marker, her right ski pole clipped into a gate at high speed, spinning her into the air and violently hurling her into the hard-packed snow.
She spent nine days in Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso before flying back to her home. She hasn’t yet stood on her feet.
Vonn herself recognized how bad her situation was, calling her injury something that is far beyond a broken leg, stating she is still trying to make sense of what it means for her future.
She was already playing with an ACL tear in her left knee, which she suffered in the World Cup race in Switzerland on January 30, 2026. The ex-Olympic champion did not see the risk as a mistake, but as a decision driven by her competitive spirit, a view echoed by her teammates and commentators.
The recovery process for Vonn may be a complicated one.
As the doctor said, she has already done this five times before, so no one knows it better than her. At the age of 41, to make a comeback after such a serious injury is a difficult task. There have been no comments from her about her future, something everyone is keen about.
An uncertain road ahead for Lindsey Vonn
Vonn was trying what many had already termed as a historic Olympic comeback at the age of 41. Her reentry into the slopes was, however, overshadowed by many medical complexities and an injury that takes between 8 and 11 months to repair.
Although medical experts have also argued on the issue of underlying injuries working together to affect high-speed biomechanics, Vonn has always stressed responsibility on the race’s moment itself.
The spillage did not end on the slopes. Her own father has come out publicly to encourage her to give up the career after what he has termed as another “horror crash.” Vonn has, however, not officially said anything about her future in the sport.
At this point, it is all about recovering, and no one can say whether this new story is a turning point or another obstacle in one of the strongest careers ever witnessed in alpine skiing.
Written by
Edited by
Tanveen Kaur Lamba