Lindsey Vonn Faces Ninth Knee Surgery

Lindsey Vonn is set to undergo her ninth surgery after revealing her anxiety ahead of the procedure, which will remove hardware from her knee to install a new anterior cruciate ligament.

The 42-year-old American skier, who suffered a crash during her comeback attempt at the Olympics, shared her emotional state on Instagram, welt.de reported.

The upcoming surgery will remove all plates and screws from Vonn’s left leg, which were implanted following a complex fracture of the left shinbone sustained in February.

“Basically, we are removing all plates and screws, so basically all the implant material, so we can put in a new ACL,” Vonn explained in her video. She noted that the hardware had prevented the previous reconstruction of her ACL, which remains absent due to the hardware’s placement.

Vonn expects a recovery period of six to nine months. “There are still things that could change during the surgery, so we have to wait and see how it goes, but I will keep you updated on my progress once I’m out of the operating room and recovering,” she wrote. The procedure comes nine months after her injury, which she said allowed her bone to heal successfully.

The injury occurred during the Olympics in northern Italy. Vonn, a four-time overall World Cup champion, crashed shortly after the start. The fall resulted in a complex fracture of her left shinbone, requiring multiple surgeries.

Despite the severity of the injury, Vonn has vowed to return to skiing. “I will definitely ski again at least once,” she stated, though plans for a World Cup comeback remain uncertain. The crash marked her Olympic comeback attempt, where she had hoped to win gold.

In her social media posts, Vonn openly addressed her nerves. “This will be my ninth surgery. I’m filming this video beforehand because I’m actually quite nervous,” she admitted. Below the video, she wrote: “I’m praying this is my last one.”

Vonn expressed confidence in the outcome, supported by her family and friends. “Everything is going to be great,” she said. While she acknowledged that the screw holes in her bone need to heal, she focused on the positive step of bone recovery and the upcoming ACL reconstruction.

Following the surgery, Vonn will begin a lengthy rehabilitation process. She has promised to update her followers on her progress.

How many surgeries has Lindsey Vonn had?

Vonn is set to undergo her ninth surgery, which will remove hardware from her knee and install a new ACL.

When did Lindsey Vonn get injured?

She suffered a complex fracture of her left shinbone during the Olympics in February.

What is the expected recovery time?

Vonn anticipates being sidelined for six to nine months following the procedure.