Orlando doctor explains Lindsey Vonn’s potential Olympic challenges despite ACL tear
Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute surgeon Dr. Daniel Miller joins WESH 2 to outline the five-time Team USA skier’s injury and ability to compete during the Milan-Cortina Olympics
WESH TWO NEWS, I’M JASON NEWTON. ALMOST AN IDENTICAL ERROR TO NINA ORTLIEB WITH BIB NUMBER ONE OF AUSTRIA. O VONN IS IN THE NETTING. OH MY GOODNESS ME. OH, I THINK WE ALL CRINGED IN UNISON WHEN WE SAW THIS. THAT’S THE MOMENT SKIING LEGEND LINDSEY VONN CRASHED DURING HER FINAL EVENT BEFORE THE WINTER OLYMPICS EXACTLY ONE WEEK AGO. SHE LOST CONTROL WITH ONLY SAFETY NETTING THERE TO STOP THE MAJOR SCARE. VONN ENDED UP TEARING HER ACL, AND SHE HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED FROM THE SLOPES. YEAH, THIS WAS SERIOUS. DESPITE THE INJURY, THE FIVE TIME OLYMPIAN SAYS SHE’S CONFIDENT SHE’S GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE STARTING GATE COMING UP SUNDAY AND ULTIMATELY CLOSE OUT HER RECORD SETTING CAREER. HOW? THAT’S THE QUESTION THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS MORNING. SO WE’RE CALLING ON THE EXPERTS TO HELP GET US SOME ANSWERS. JOINING US LIVE RIGHT NOW, ORLANDO HEALTH SURGEON DOCTOR DANIEL MILLER. GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. ALL RIGHT. LET’S JUST REALLY HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THIS AND KIND OF PLAIN SPEAKING TERMS, WHAT EXACTLY IS A TORN ACL? SO THE ACL IS ONE OF THE LIGAMENTS THAT THE STABILIZING LIGAMENTS OF THE KNEE. USUALLY AN INJURY LIKE THAT IS CATASTROPHIC FOR AN ATHLETE. WHAT IT HELPS PREVENT IS IT HELPS PREVENT TRANSLATION OF THE KNEE SPECIFICALLY THE SHINBONE. THE TIBIA FROM ANTERIOR TO POSTERIOR FORCES, AS WELL AS ROTATIONAL FORCES. SO YOU DON’T HAVE THAT PROTECTION WHEN YOU TEAR THAT LIGAMENT. YEAH. SO I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, MY HUSBAND USED TO PLAY FOOTBALL. HE’S TORN HIS ACL. AND I REMEMBER IT WAS DEVASTATING. I MEAN, IT REALLY BROUGHT AN END TO WHAT HIS HOPES WERE FOR THE FUTURE OF THAT SPORT. HE’S NOT LINDSEY VONN. HE’S NOT AN OLYMPIAN. SO WHAT DO THE PHYSICIANS AND THE TEAM AROUND HER CONSIDER WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER IT IS SAFE FOR HER TO COMPETE? SO THE MAIN THING THAT THEY’RE LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS ACUTE PHASE IS, IS CONTROLLING THE SWELLING, THE INFLAMMATION THAT SHE HAS, CHECKING AND SEEING WHAT HER RANGE OF MOTION IS LIKE AND SEEING WHAT HER STABILITY IS. OBVIOUSLY, SHE’S AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE AND SHE HAS, YOU KNOW, WELL DEVELOPED QUAD QUADRICEPS AND HAMSTRINGS AND THE SURROUNDING MUSCLES. SEEING HOW SHE RESPONDS TO THE TO THE STRESSES AND STRAINS THAT SHE’S GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING ON THE SLOPES, AND SEEING IF SHE CAN HANDLE THAT WELL AND SAFELY. YEAH. AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES GOING TO BE FOR HER COMPETING WITH A TORN ACL? SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ARE GOING TO BE OBVIOUSLY OVERALL STABILITY OF THE KNEE. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU GUYS SAW, BUT RECENTLY SHE POSTED A VIDEO WHERE SHE’S SHE’S UTILIZING A KNEE BRACE. SO THAT’S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT SHE’S GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO. AND THAT’S A STABILIZING, FUNCTIONAL BRACE WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TORN ACL, THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN SPORTING ACTIVITIES UTILIZING THAT. AND THAT HELPS THAT HELPS PREVENT SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE TRANSLATIONAL FORCES THAT SHE’LL BE EXPERIENCING. YOU KNOW, WE’RE HOPING FOR THE BEST FOR HER. SHE DID HAVE A TRIAL RUN THERE IN ITALY, AND THEY CALLED IT A SUCCESS. WE ALSO KNOW, DOCTOR, THIS IS THE LATEST OF SEVERAL INJURIES THAT VONN HAS SUSTAINED. SO SHE’S NO STRANGER TO THIS. WE’RE TALKING EVERYTHING FROM TEARS TO BROKEN BONES. MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN MAJOR SURGERIES THAT DATE ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2006. HOW COULD THIS KIND OF INJURY REALLY PLAY A PART IN HER PERFORMANCE? WELL, IT WILL DEFINITELY AFFECT HER PERFORMANCE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. YOU KNOW? SHE’LL BE EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT FORCES AND STRAINS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE RUN. AND DEPENDING ON HOW SHE RESPONDS TO THAT, IT COULD, YOU KNOW, IT COULD EITHER NOT AFFECT HER IN THE RESPECT OF HER TIMING OR IF SHE’S EXPERIENCING INCREASED INSTABILITY, IT MAY AFFECT HER WHERE SHE’S GOING TO HAVE TO COMPENSATE, AND SHE MAY NOT HAVE AS SUCCESSFUL A RUN AS SHE WOULD HOPE FOR. BUT, YOU KNOW, SHE’S AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE. YEAH. AND LIKE YOU SAID, SHE’S USED TO COMPETING WITH WITH INJURIES. AND YOU KNOW, THESE THESE HIGH LEVEL ATHLETES, THEY’RE THEY’RE VERY DETERMINED FOLKS. AND MY MY SUSPICION IS, IS THAT SHE’S GOING TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT. YEAH. AND DOCTOR I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT KNEE WHERE SHE’S PREVIOUSLY HAD AN ACL TEAR AND MCL TEAR AND A LOT OF ISSUES HERE. WHAT IS THE ROAD TO RECOVERY GOING TO LOOK LIKE AFTER THE GAMES WHERE THEY’RE JUST TRYING TO GET HER THERE IT SEEMS. WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE HERE IN JUST THE LAST FEW MINUTES AS WE GOT WITH YOU? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO I BELIEVE SO. IT’S HER LEFT KNEE THAT SHE HAS THE RECENT TEAR IN HER RIGHT KNEE, WHICH IS ALSO REMARKABLE. SHE’S HAD A PARTIAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY IN WHICH SHE’S MADE A RECOVERY FROM THERE. SO HER LEFT KNEE, IT’S CONSIDERED A UNSTABLE OR DEFICIENT KNEE. SO DEPENDING ON THE ROUTE THAT SHE DECIDES TO GO, IF, IF SHE DOES HAVE A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE OF THE LIGAMENT, USUALLY IT’S A 9 TO 12 MONTH RECOVERY PHASE TO GET BACK TO IMPACT SPORTS. YOU KNOW, YOU YOU HAVE TO UNDERGO THE SURGICAL RECONSTRUCTION. AND THEN AFTER THAT THE IN THE ACUTE PHASE, OBVIOUSLY IT’S RECOVERING FROM THE SURGICAL TRAUMA OF INFLAMMATION, GETTING RANGE OF MOTION BACK AND THEN STEADILY PROGRESSING BACK INTO HER ROAD TO TO IMPACT SPORTS. NO MATTER WHAT THOUGH OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL ATHLETE. SO ANY ANY CONSIDERATIONS THAT SHE HAS SHE’LL MAKE WITH HER MEDICAL TEAM AND HER AND HER SUPPORT TEAM. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WELL, DOCTOR MILLER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHT TODAY AND WE APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM. AND WE WISH LINDSEY VONN WELL. AND KEEP IN MIND, WE’RE YOUR HOME FOR THESE OLYMPIC GAMES OVER ON WESH TWO. WATCH THE OPENING CEREMONY. IT’S LIVE AT 2:00 THIS AFTERNOON. DON’T MISS IT OVER THERE ON WESH TWO. WE ALSO HAVE OUR COVERAGE BEGINNING FROM THE GAMES AT NOON TODAY.
Orlando doctor explains Lindsey Vonn’s potential Olympic challenges despite ACL tear
Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute surgeon Dr. Daniel Miller joins WESH 2 to outline the five-time Team USA skier’s injury and ability to compete during the Milan-Cortina Olympics
Updated: 10:10 AM EST Feb 6, 2026
Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute surgeon Dr. Daniel Miller joins WESH 2 to outline alpine skier Lindsey Vonn’s injury and ability to compete during the Milan-Cortina Olympics following a ruptured ACL.The five-time Team USA athlete says, despite the injury, she is ‘confident’ she will compete in the women’s downhill race on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.Click here to learn more.Click here for more information about the Olympic Winter Games.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute surgeon Dr. Daniel Miller joins WESH 2 to outline alpine skier Lindsey Vonn’s injury and ability to compete during the Milan-Cortina Olympics following a ruptured ACL.
The five-time Team USA athlete says, despite the injury, she is ‘confident’ she will compete in the women’s downhill race on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.
Click here for more information about the Olympic Winter Games.