Lanning Undergoes Successful Surgery

U.S. Ski Team athlete TJ Lanning underwent surgery last week to stabilize a fractured vertebra in his neck. According to U.S. Ski Team Medical Director Richard Quincy, doctors from the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic at the Vail Valley Medical Center in Colorado successfully performed the operation to fuse two of the Park City resident’s vertebra and stabilize the fracture.

“The surgery is typical with injuries such as this and designed to create stability, allowing the fracture to heal more safely,” said Quincy. “It went very well.”

Lanning was injured late last month in the opening downhill of the Audi FIS World Cup in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. He was transported from a hospital in Calgary to the Vail Valley Medical Center by Global Rescue for further evaluation by U.S. Ski Team medical officials. He suffered a non-displaced fractured vertebra in his neck and a dislocated left knee.