How did knee replacement help Lindsey Vonn’s comeback?
Lindsey Vonn announced her retirement in February 2019, but she announced her return to the U.S. Ski Team for the 2024–2025 alpine ski season in November 2024 after partial knee replacement surgery. Lindsey, now 40 years old, retired originally because of a long history of skiing injuries and specifically, injuries to her knee. She stated at the time that her body was broken beyond repair as she suffered daily pain in her right knee, caused by multiple injuries during highspeed races.
Does Lindsey Vonn have a titanium knee?
Yes! In April of 2024, Lindsey Vonn had a robot-assisted partial knee replacement using titanium components to replace parts of her knee. An orthopedic surgeon specialized in complex knee injuries, like Dr. Prem Ramkumar, performed the surgery and a month later, Vonn was planning her comeback.
What was Lindsey Vonn’s Mako robotic knee surgery like?
It sounds next century, but luckily for individuals suffering with pain, injury, and arthritis in part of their knee, there is a treatment. Robotic assisted partial-knee replacement has actually been around since 2006, even before the Mako robot was being used for total knee replacements. The surgery that Vonn had involved cutting part of the bone in her knee and replacing it with titanium pieces. The Orthopedic surgeon precisely resurfaced the most damaged parts on the outside of Vonn’s knee with titanium alloys and polyethylene components. The replacement parts were custom positioned based on a CT scan of Vonn’s knee joint.
What is the “MAKO Robot” that was used for Vonn’s knee replacement?
MAKO refers to the MAKO robotic-arm-assisted surgery system by industry leader, Stryker. The MAKO assists surgeons like the one who treated Lindsey Vonn and Dr. Prem Ramkumar with pre-planning the partial knee replacement using a 3-D model of the patient’s knee. During surgery, Dr. Ramkumar uses the MAKO robotic arm to accurately remove the diseased parts of the knee while preserving healthy bone and tissue. The MAKO then helps Dr. Ramkumar find the ideal position and size of the titanium knee implant down to the half millimeter and half degree with respect to the patient’s specific anatomy/
How did they do the partial knee replacement on Lindsey Vonn?
Lindsey Vonn’s surgery was customized based on the 3-D model created specifically for her injury to replace only the injured parts of her knee while preserving the rest. This type of procedure, known as a unicompartmental arthroplasty or partial knee replacement, is a procedure that removes the arthritic surfaces of the knee (resurfacing) and replaces them with a thin titanium implant. A sturdy plastic insert is placed between the resurfaced portion of the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) and acts as a new “meniscus”. When Dr. Ramkumar performs this procedure, he removes only a small portion of the bone and the smooth new surfaces of the partial knee replacement restore frictionless joint motion. The remaining structure of the knee is untouched and remains unimpacted by the surgery.
How long was Lindsey Vonn’s recovery after knee replacement?
Lindsey Vonn says she felt immediate pain relief after her partial knee replacement. She had the surgery in April of 2023 and was performing at a level that enabled her to rejoin the U.S. Ski Team in November of 2024. In most cases Dr. Ramkumar’s unicompartmental knee replacement patients can expect the following:
- Surgery done on an out-patient basis
- Crutches or a walker for 5-7 days after surgery
- Increase weight-bearing as tolerated
- Physical therapy begins one week after surgery and continues for approximately 2 months after surgery.
- Most patients return to daily activities by week 3-4.
- Full return to sport (when cleared by Dr. Ramkumar) is about 12 weeks.
How is Lindsey Vonn knee replacement comeback progressing?
Lindsey’s determination to overcome multiple injuries and knee pain is a testament to both her passion for skiing and her resilience as an athlete. Her comeback is progressing well as fans around the world cheer her return to the slopes to continue with her impressive career achievements. Lindsey recently qualified for the World Cup and has placed in other races as she continues to improve her strength and adjust to new equipment.
Who is a candidate for a partial knee replacement surgery like Lindsey Vonn’s?
There are specific parameters for a patient to undergo a partial knee replacement. These include:
- Pain is limited to one side and/or one compartment of the knee both on exam and on imaging. (Lindsey’s pain was in the lateral compartment – or the outside of her knee)
- Compartmental degeneration, or arthritis (Lindsey had severe tri-compartment degeneration but the lateral compartment had the most painful symptoms and her youth and athletic demands made a partial knee the ideal implant)
- Knee has good range of motion, intact ligaments and minimal deformity.
Which orthopedic surgeons in Southern California perform the knee replacement surgery that Lindsey Vonn had?
Patients in Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County, and surrounding Southern California cities who are interested in learning if they are a candidate for MAKO unicompartmental partial knee replacement are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Prem Ramkumar for an evaluation. Dr. Prem Ramkumar performs one of the highest volumes of partial knee replacements in the region, and he specifically uses the MAKO-assisted robotic platform to help his patients reach their athletic goals.
