Orthopedic and sports medicine experts say Lindsey Vonn’s decision to compete in alpine skiing at the Milan Cortina Olympics despite a torn ACL is risky but not unexpected.
“This is not unusual for any elite athlete. People will accomplish things that the rest of us wouldn’t accomplish because the stakes are a little higher,” said Dr. Katherine Logan, an orthopedic surgeon at the United Conservation Center in Denver, Colorado, who has worked with the U.S. ski, snowboard and lacrosse teams.
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The 41-year-old Vonn, who is back on track to make the U.S. Olympic team, fell during a World Cup downhill race in Switzerland on Friday. Vaughn said at a news conference Tuesday that the injuries to her left knee included a “complete rupture” of her ACL and a bone bruise, “plus a meniscus injury.”
After physical therapy and on the advice of her doctor, she decided to continue.
“There is no swelling in my knee and with the help of a knee brace I feel confident that I will be able to play on Sunday,” Vaughan said.
Doing so could cause more damage to the knee, or worse, said Dr. Yana Klein, an emergency and sports medicine specialist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
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“Her knee could have completely blown out,” Klein said. “At such high game speeds, the biggest risk is that the knee is not stable enough to compete.”
Here’s what you need to know about the ACL and this type of injury:
What is an ACL rupture? How did it happen?
The ACL (or anterior cruciate ligament) connects the femur (or thigh bone) to the tibia (or tibia). A rupture is a tear in the ligament and usually occurs in sports that require quick changes of direction, such as basketball, football, and skiing.
Athletes will often hear a loud “pop” from the knee, the knee immediately stops, and is followed by significant swelling.
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How serious is Vaughn’s injury?
An ACL rupture combined with damage to the meniscus, the rubbery cartilage between the femur and tibia that acts as a shock absorber, is considered a serious injury, said Dr. Mia Hagen, a sports medicine surgeon at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
Treatment is usually performed with surgery within a few months of the injury, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Recovery after surgery can take anywhere from nine months to a year.
“Some people are able to return early, but others never return to the sport in which they were injured,” Hagen said.
How does she ski with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament?
Logan said Vonn will rely on external knee pads as well as her sheer physical prowess.
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“You can ski with a ruptured ACL,” she said. “It really comes down to our quadriceps strength, hip strength and neuromuscular control.”
How did the injury affect her performance?
If Vonn had significant swelling or excess fluid in her knee, it could affect her power, power and edge control, or the ability to control the angle of her ski relative to the snow, Logan said. But if she can control those factors, she’ll still be competitive.
“It’s still possible for an elite alpine skier like Lindsay to perform at the Olympic level,” she said.
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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Associated Press is solely responsible for all content.
