Lindsey Vonn's Leg Saved After Olympic Crash Complications

When Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn crashed during the women's downhill just 13 seconds into her run on February 8, the 41-year-old American skier broke her tibia and right ankle. But what happened next nearly cost her the leg entirely.

Vonn revealed on Instagram this week that the crash trauma caused compartment syndrome in her left leg. This dangerous condition happens when pressure builds up inside a muscle from bleeding or swelling, restricting blood flow and potentially causing permanent damage if not treated immediately.

"There's too much blood and it gets stuck and it basically crushes everything," Vonn explained. Without quick intervention, doctors would have needed to amputate.

Enter Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon who works with Team USA. He performed an emergency fasciotomy, essentially opening the leg to release the pressure and restore blood flow.

"He filleted it open, let it breathe, and he saved me," Vonn said.

Here's where the story gets even more remarkable. Dr. Hackett was only in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, because Vonn had torn her ACL in her left knee shortly before the Olympics and needed his support during competition.

"If I hadn't done that, Tom wouldn't have been there and wouldn't have been able to save my leg," she said.

The Bright Side

Despite being confined to a wheelchair and facing about a year of recovery before doctors can even repair her torn ACL, Vonn's spirit remains unshaken. She spent a week in a Treviso hospital undergoing multiple surgeries and received a blood transfusion after significant blood loss.

The injuries are what she called "by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I've ever faced in my entire life times 100." Still, she has no regrets about her comeback from a six-year retirement or her decision to compete despite the knee injury.

"I wish it had ended differently, but I'd rather go down swinging than not try at all," said Vonn, who was leading the World Cup downhill rankings when she arrived in Cortina. She praised both Dr. Hackett and the Italian medical team who put her leg, which was "in pieces," back together.

Now working toward being able to use crutches, Vonn is focusing on rehabilitation with the same determination that made her an Olympic champion. She likened the injury to "one blip on the radar" and compared herself to Rocky, saying she'll just keep getting back up.

"Life is life and we have to take the punches that come," she said. "This year was incredible and so worth everything."