Lindsey Vonn has knees of steelor at least, titanium

"Lindsey Vonn is a physiological marvel. The 41-year-old Olympic gold medalist skier has, quite literally, risen to the top of her sport and stayed there, despite numerous injuries that could have been career-ending. In 2018 she announced she was retiring the following year, citing concerns about her physical condition as she got older But in 2024 she returned to competition after a remarkably successful partial knee replacement surgery on her right knee."

"Downhill skiing is a punishing sport. Elite skiers can reach speeds above 80 miles per hour, and because kinetic energy goes up with the square of the velocity it exerts considerable force on the body. And the knees bear a lot of the brunt. If your weight is centered over your skis and you're in control, that's not a problem. But if you end up, say, too far back on your skis, or you land wrong, it creates shearing forces on the knee that can cause injuries."

"Vonn has suffered repeated damage to her ligaments over the years, and that can cause the joint to loosen and cause problems. Sam Ward, co-director of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at the University of California, San Diego, compared this to the wear and tear on a tire. First of all, it hurts, he says."

Lindsey Vonn, a 41-year-old Olympic gold medalist, returned to competition in 2024 after a successful partial knee replacement on her right knee. She ruptured the ACL on her other knee in a crash on January 30 but still plans to compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Downhill skiing can exceed 80 mph, producing high kinetic energy that increases forces on the body and particularly on the knees. Improper positioning or bad landings create shearing forces that injure ligaments. Repeated ligament damage can loosen the joint, likened to tire wear, and causes significant pain and dysfunction.

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