what are lindsey vonn's injuries

February 13, 2026

Lindsey Vonn has one of the most documented injury histories in modern skiing, with problems ranging from repeated knee ligament tears to fractures and nerve damage.

Quick Scoop: What are Lindsey Vonn’s injuries?

Over roughly three decades of elite racing, Vonn has dealt with:

Multiple serious knee injuries (ACL and MCL tears, tibial plateau fractures, other fractures in the knee area).

A broken right arm (fractured humerus) that required surgery and left her with nerve damage and trouble moving her fingers at first.

A broken ankle in her left leg from a training crash.

Back issues such as acute facet dysfunction, causing painful stiffness and missed races.

A lacerated thumb from a champagne bottle accident.

Various bruises and soft‑tissue injuries from big crashes, especially at Olympic and World Cup events.

Most recently, in January 2026 she injured her left knee in a downhill crash and had to be airlifted from the course; she has not disclosed precise medical details but is reportedly hoping to be ready for the Milan‑Cortina Winter Games.

Major Knee Injuries (Core of Her Story)

Vonn’s knees have taken the hardest and most repeated hits of her career.

Torn ACL and MCL with a fractured tibial plateau in her right knee after a brutal crash at the 2013 World Championships; this required season‑ending reconstructive surgery.

Further left‑knee fractures after a super‑G crash in Andorra, initially thought to be a hairline fracture but later revealed as three larger fractures that ended her season while she was leading the overall World Cup.

Additional knee sprains and hyperextensions over the years, including partially torn ACL fibers and extended ligaments that cost her multiple races and full World Cup campaigns.

These repeated injuries are a big reason she has often raced with knee braces on both legs in the later stages of her career.

Other Notable Injuries

While knees dominate the headlines, she has also dealt with high‑profile injuries elsewhere in her body.

Right arm fracture (humerus, 2016): Suffered during training in Colorado, required surgery and led to nerve damage; she initially could not move her fingers and taped a ski pole to her glove when she returned.

Broken left ankle (2015): Happened during preseason training in New Zealand; it delayed her World Cup start until late November.

Back/facet joint issues (2017): Acute facet dysfunction in her back after jarring it in a super‑G race; she missed at least one race but returned shortly after.

Lacerated right thumb (2009): Cut by a champagne bottle shortly before racing; infamous because it came from a celebration, not a crash.

Major bruising and pain (2006 Turin): A frightening training crash left her with a badly bruised thigh, sore back, and pelvic pain, but she still raced in all four planned Olympic events.

Mini Timeline of Key Injuries (HTML Table)

Here’s a compact view of some of the biggest moments in her injury history:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Year</th>
      <th>Injury / Area</th>
      <th>Context</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>2006</td>
      <td>Heavy bruising, hip/back/pelvic pain[web:5]</td>
      <td>Training crash before Turin Olympics; still competed in four events[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2007</td>
      <td>Partial ACL tear in right knee[web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>World Championships training in Åre, Sweden; missed rest of season[web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2009</td>
      <td>Lacerated right thumb[web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Champagne bottle accident during celebrations[web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2013</td>
      <td>Torn ACL and MCL, fractured tibial plateau (right knee)[web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>Super-G crash at World Championships in Schladming, Austria[web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2015</td>
      <td>Broken left ankle[web:1][web:5]</td>
      <td>Preseason training accident in New Zealand[web:1][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2016</td>
      <td>Fractured right humerus with nerve damage[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Training crash in Colorado; required surgery[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2016</td>
      <td>Multiple fractures in left knee[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Super-G crash in Andorra; season ended while leading overall World Cup[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2017</td>
      <td>Acute facet dysfunction in back[web:7]</td>
      <td>Back jarred in super-G race; missed next day’s event[web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2018–2019</td>
      <td>Further left knee damage and ligament issues[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Training crashes and World Cup races as she neared retirement[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2026</td>
      <td>Undisclosed left knee injury[web:1][web:5]</td>
      <td>Downhill crash ahead of Milan-Cortina Olympics; airlifted from course[web:1][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Forum / Discussion Angle & “Latest News”

On forums and social media, discussion around “what are Lindsey Vonn’s injuries” usually centers on:

How extraordinary it is that she kept coming back after so many major crashes and surgeries.

Whether her latest left‑knee injury in early 2026 will affect any role she has around the upcoming Milan‑Cortina Games, whether as a racer in special events, ambassador, or commentator.

Comparisons between Vonn and other greats who pushed through chronic injury to build their legacies.

As of early February 2026, public reports describe the newest injury simply as a left‑knee injury serious enough to require evacuation, but without detailed public medical diagnosis; she has publicly voiced hope of recovering in time for the Winter Games.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.