How a Surgeon Saved Lindsey Vonn's Leg From Amputation

Lindsey Vonn is no stranger to injuries.

Following one of the sport’s greatest-ever comebacks by way of a partial knee replacement, the American alpine skier went into the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics poised to perform exceptionally well, if not medal.

However, in a heartbreaking turn of events, just a week before the Games, Vonn tore her ACL in a crash at a World Cup event in Crans-Montana. While some thought her Olympic comeback dreams might be over, Vonn knew better and, after evaluation, decided to compete in qualifiers for the Olympic Downhill race.

Vonn successfully completed a qualifier lap on February 6, 2026, sans ACL, securing her spot in the Olympic downhill race and silencing those who said she wouldn’t be able to.

However, Vonn’s trials weren’t over. Just 13 seconds and four gates into her race, Vonn clipped a gate with her right arm while airing through a turn and got turned sideways in mid-air before slamming into the ground. Vonn’s screams of pain could be heard over the event livestream, and she was airlifted off the course.

Vonn posted to her social media the day after the crash, saying she’d sustained a “complex tibia fracture” that would need multiple surgeries to fix. Vonn had three surgeries in the following days and posted another photo of her leg with a large external fixation implanted in her leg.

Vonn had a fourth surgery on February 14th that allowed her to be transported back to the U.S. after nearly a week in an Italian hospital. After returning to the US, Vonn underwent another surgery and has provided updates and full details on the extent of her injury.

Tap or click below to watch Vonn explain how her leg nearly needed to be amputated and how a doctor “saved” her leg.

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Like she’d said previously, Vonn sustained a complex tibial fracture (a fracture of the larger of the two lower leg bones) and also fractured her tibial plateau (which is the larger top part of the tibia bone and involves some of the knee’s structures).

Vonn also developed compartment syndrome, which is a buildup of pressure around muscles caused by bleeding and swelling within the muscle compartment. This excess pressure compresses the muscle against its fascia, reducing blood flow and oxygen to the extremity. It’s highly painful and can be quickly life-threatening in acute situations like Vonn’s.

Renowned orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tom Hackett, performed what’s called a fasciotomy on Vonn’s leg, which ultimately saved it from having to be amputated. She cited that if the previous crash hadn’t torn her ACL, Dr. Hackett wouldn’t have been there to perform a knee reconstruction and ultimately, the fasciotomy that saved her leg.

Following a blood transfusion after surgery, Vonn was released from the hospital after two weeks. Vonn also broke her right ankle in the crash, and is currently in a wheelchair as neither leg is weight-bearing.

Vonn said in a previous post that the ‘ride was worth the fall.’

“When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards. I was willing to risk and push and sacrifice for something I knew I was absolutely capable of doing. I will always take the risk of crashing while giving it my all, rather than not ski to my potential and have regret. I never want to cross finish line and say,“what if?” read her caption.

If there’s anyone who can handle recovery from an injury with grace and come back strong (although maybe not to ski racing), it’s Lindsey Vonn. We’ll be rooting for Lindsey throughout her recovery and are wishing her the best.

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