Lindsey Vonn recently underwent her ninth surgery after her dramatic crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Now, the Olympic skiing legend has shared details on what doctors removed, along with pictures of the screws and plates, as she faces a long road to recovery.
Lindsey Vonn, 42, has given fans a glimpse of just how serious her crash during the 2026 Winter Olympics really was. On Instagram Stories, the skiing legend shared a video of the plates and screws that doctors removed from her leg during the latest operation.
Vonn had been preparing her fans for the procedure earlier this week, explaining that surgeons planned to remove the metal hardware that had been holding her damaged leg together. The operation was also intended to finally repair her torn ACL, an injury she had suffered shortly before the Winter Olympics.
On Wednesday, she shared encouraging news with her followers on Instagram, saying the surgery had gone well.
“Surgery went well,” she wrote, adding that she would “give you an update soon.”
She posted a video showing a bag filled with the plates and screws removed during the procedure, alongside a glimpse of her bandaged leg.
“Got all this s*** out of my leg,” Vonn wrote in Instagram Stories, alongside a video.
The latest operation marks another major chapter in a recovery that began after a terrifying accident at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February.
Lindsey Vonn shares photo of screws and plates removed from leg after ninth surgery
Before the Olympics, Vonn had already suffered a serious setback. She had torn her ACL during a World Cup race, but she refused to give up on her dream of returning to the Olympic stage.
However, tragically, her race ended in disaster. Just 13 seconds into her run, Vonn hit a gate and crashed. The 42-year-old was left seriously injured and had to be airlifted to hospital.
Doctors discovered that she had suffered complex fractures to her left tibia and fibula, as well as a fracture to her right ankle. In fact, the damage was so severe that doctors initially feared she could lose her leg.
Vonn also developed compartment syndrome, a dangerous condition caused by pressure building up inside the muscles, which required emergency surgery. After several operations in Italy, Vonn returned to the U.S., where she underwent several other procedures to repair the damage.
The latest surgery was particularly important as doctors finally removed the plates and screws that had been holding her leg together and addressed the ACL injury.
Not ruled out returning to skiing
While the last surgery was a big step forward, Lindsey Vonn is still facing a lengthy rehabilitation period.
Before the operation, Vonn explained that removing the hardware would leave holes in the bone that need time to heal. She was warned that recovery could take another six to nine months.
Despite everything that has happened, Lindsey Vonn has not completely ruled out returning to skiing. Time will tell when, or if, it will ever become reality.
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