{"id":800,"date":"2026-03-01T01:10:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T01:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibes15.com\/?p=800"},"modified":"2026-03-01T01:10:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T01:10:45","slug":"surgeon-reveals-the-hard-truth-about-lindsey-vonns-recovery-and-what-fans-should-expect-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vibes15.com\/?p=800","title":{"rendered":"Surgeon Reveals the Hard Truth About Lindsey Vonn\u2019s Recovery and What Fans Should Expect Next"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lindsey Vonn\u2019s chances of losing her leg would have \u2018increased very rapidly\u2019 if she didn\u2019t go under the knife immediately after her crash at the Winter Olympics, an orthopedic surgeon has revealed.<\/p>\n

The American skiing icon, 41, had to undergo four surgeries in Italy after breaking her leg in the women\u2019s downhill final earlier this month, before having a fifth and final op when she returned home to the US.<\/p>\n

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One knee specialist warned at the time that similar injuries have even led to amputation in the past, sparking fears that Vonn could lose a limb.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, all five of her procedures went successfully to rule out the possibility of that disaster playing out.<\/p>\n

Yet according to Nolan Horner, a top orthopedic surgeon from Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Chicago, Vonn came dangerously close to that worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n

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\u2018When it\u2019s identified, the patient should be taken to the operating room almost immediately,\u2019 Horner told EFE, via Marca. \u2018Every hour that passes once someone enters compartment syndrome, the risk of permanent damage or even limb loss begins to increase very rapidly.\u2019<\/p>\n

Horner, who has experience treating athletes from the NBA, MLB and other leading sports leagues, explained how Vonn suffered from \u2018compartment syndrome\u2019 before having her first surgery.<\/p>\n

\u2018Compartment 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,\u2019 he continued.<\/p>\n

\"Vonn<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s considered a surgical emergency, and if it\u2019s 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

According to Horner, after rushing Vonn into surgery doctors opened up or released her fascia \u2013 which is a connective layer of tissue that separates muscles in the body.<\/p>\n

\u2018When bleeding or very intense swelling starts in these muscle areas, the fascia contains all of that, and that\u2019s what causes the pressure inside the compartment to start increasing,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Opening or releasing the fascia \u2018allows the muscles to expand freely\u2019 and \u2018relieves the pressure\u2019, which saved Vonn from permanent nerve damage and subsequent amputation.<\/p>\n

\"Lindsey<\/p>\n

When asked to assess her recovery timeframe, Horner estimated that the Olympics hero won\u2019t even be able to bear weight on her leg again for up to three months.<\/p>\n

\u2018The fact that she\u2019s an elite athlete greatly improves her chances of a very good outcome, but she certainly has a long road ahead,\u2019 the surgeon admitted. \u2018She\u2019ll likely have an extended period where she\u2019s not even allowed to put weight on that limb, to allow the fracture to heal properly.\u2019<\/p>\n

He also added: \u2018Realistically, to achieve her best possible outcome after a procedure like this, it could very easily take around a year.\u2019<\/p>\n