Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old skiing icon, is pursuing gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics following a partial knee replacement in April 2024. The titanium implant has enabled her remarkable return to elite competition, highlighted by a World Cup downhill win in St. Moritz. Her success is advancing medical knowledge in orthopedic surgery.
Lindsey Vonn underwent partial knee replacement surgery in April 2024, performed by Dr. Martin Roche at the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida. The procedure addressed severe damage from prior injuries, including a 2013 crash that tore her ACL and MCL and fractured her tibial plateau, as well as two ACL surgeries and cartilage loss. Before the surgery, Vonn limped and experienced constant pain, limiting her mobility.
The titanium implant, inserted via robot-assisted technology from MAKO Surgical Corp., replaced only the damaged compartment of her knee, preserving natural ligaments for better stability. Two months post-surgery, Vonn wakeboarded in Miami, marking rapid recovery. She consulted Dr. Roche and Dr. Thomas Hackett before resuming elite skiing, an unprecedented move for such an implant under high-impact conditions.
Vonn returned to the World Cup circuit last winter, achieving two wins and seven podiums in eight races this season. She leads the downhill standings and opened with a win, second place, and fourth in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in December. A recent downhill victory there prompted her to reconsider her retirement timeline. "I thought I was going to retire after the last race of the Olympics because I wasn’t sure I’d be competitive for a (season) title," Vonn said. "I think I might need to change my approach."
Her coaches, Chris Knight and Aksel Lund Svindal, adapted training cautiously, building volume on snow. "We’ve been able to test so much during the last six months," Knight said. Vonn now ranks among favorites for Olympic gold in downhill, super-G, and combined events at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. "I am testing it out in a lot of ways," she noted. "Considering how I feel, I’m not worried about it at all."
Dr. Roche observes her races anxiously at speeds over 80 mph but trusts the implant's durability. "We’re learning things from Lindsey," he said. This comeback positions Vonn as a pioneer in sports medicine, inspiring athletes and patients alike.
