Artificial joint

What knee specialist says about Vonn’s comeback

Lindsey Vonn is back on the ski circuit.(Bild: GEPA)

Lindsey Vonn has won 82 races in the Ski World Cup because she used to always choose the riskiest line. In 2019, the US daredevil retired because her body was battered. A partial knee prosthesis has now enabled the 40-year-old to make a comeback, and this weekend Vonn will be in the starting gate at the women's classic in St. Moritz after a break of almost six years. Knee specialist Dr. Christian Hoser explains the risks of the undertaking.

There has already been much discussion about the sense and nonsense of Vonn's return. "If you look at life purely in terms of the knee, then it doesn't make sense. But there are also other aspects of Lindsey's life that are in the foreground," said Hoser from the renowned private clinic in Hochrum in an APA interview. "We got to know her as an 18-year-old, fast skiing is her life."

Lindsey Vonn(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Vonn has suffered numerous serious knee injuries in her career, including torn cruciate ligaments in both knees. Her body was "broken beyond repair", she said when she retired in 2019. Because there is hardly any cartilage left on the outside of her right knee, her everyday life was also impaired. Surgery brought no improvement, and in April 2024 she had a partial prosthesis fitted. The advantage of this miniature version is that the partially natural knee retains more sensitivity and mobility. "Getting into deep flexion is much smoother with half a knee," explains Hoser. However, Vonn is still at risk of tearing ligaments, for example.

"Guinea pig"
According to Hoser, it is always possible that something around the implant could break and cause a serious injury. "But the probability is not much higher than with a 'normal' knee. A fracture around a new knee is extremely rare." The surgeon expressly recommends that patients with a knee replacement should be active. Swimming, cycling, hiking, strength training or Pilates are even beneficial. "However, when it comes to sports that involve impacts, strong compressive forces and high speeds, the implant will wear out sooner than would otherwise be the case."

In the "Masters" retirement ski circus, 40 percent of the participants use artificial joints. Surgeons like Hoser then swallow because the implants are not made for this. Skiing and jumping over icy World Cup slopes at 130 kilometers per hour at the age of 40 is in a different league. "We don't know anything about race skiing on this scale yet. Lindsey is the guinea pig," admits Hoser. At the same time, he is convinced that the "new knee" can withstand this in the short term. "The previous wear and tear is caused by thousands and thousands of knocks, not hundreds. You don't have to worry that something will happen straight away."

We know pretty much exactly what was done to Vonn's knee because she herself posted videos from the operating theater. First, a robot shaved off three millimeters of the bone on the outside of the knee. Then a doctor placed a titanium cap on the outer part of the femur. A titanium plate was attached to the tibial plateau. Pins from the titanium parts were then pressed into the cement smeared between the bone and the titanium.

Vonn feels like she is 25
Since then, Vonn has trained intensively in order to re-enter the World Cup with a comparatively low starting number of 30. She has been hoarding the missing FIS points, which are required for the (more dangerous) speed disciplines, in lower-class races. The first endurance test on a World Cup slope was also successful. Vonn was fast, as a forerunner in Beaver Creek she probably didn't lose a second to downhill winner Cornelia Hütter according to the unofficial stopwatches.

(Bild: GEPA)

More importantly for her, her knee held up - and apparently very well: "I can't tell you how big the difference is when you can ski without pain. It's a whole new world for me and I haven't felt this good for 15 years. I'm happy to be back," said Vonn.