Lindsey Vonn Suffers Knee Injury in Crash

Olympic ski champion  Lindsey Vonn suffered a devstating crash while skiing in a race on Tuesday in Austria. As a result of the crash the world class skier suffered an injury to her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) as well as a lateral tibial plateau fracture.

Video shows the skier falling as her knee sustained a valgus (inward) load. The ACL and MCL are commonly injured when the knee is subjected to such a load and a fracture can result from the rotational force of the tibia making contact with the femur. Fortunately most fractures heal without surgery but unfortunately her ACL and possibly MCL will need surgical reconstruction. Her timeline for return to skiing could be anything from 6 months to up to a year postoperatively depending on the severity of  her injuries.