Tiger Woods luckily survived a serious car cash in California on Tuesday, but the golf pro suffered a pretty gruesome leg injury.
According to his doctor, Tiger shattered his right leg in at least two places and the bone pierced through the skin. A metal rod has been put in place to stabilize it.
Dr. Anish Mahajan — Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center — issued a statement describing Tiger’s injuries in detail.
“Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists,” Mahajan says.
“Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia.”
A comminuted fracture is when the bone breaks into several pieces, according to WebMD. And, the fact it’s “open” means the bones broke through the skin.
Dr. Mahajan says Tiger also suffered serious injuries to his right ankle and foot — which were stabilized “with a combination of screws and pins.”
He continued, “Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”
Tiger is currently “awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room.” according to Tiger’s PR team.
