The PGA Championship started this week as golfers prepare to converge on the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tiger Woods is getting set to make his triumphant return after his high-speed horror car crash last year.
Woods suffered open fractures to both the upper and lower portions of his tibia and fibula in his right leg, as well as damage to the ankle bones and trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg.
A comminuted fracture is when a bone breaks into more than two pieces, and an open fracture suggests the bone broke the skin.
Woods admitted that he was "lucky to be alive" after being involved in the crash in Los Angeles.
The golf star was rushed to hospital and his right leg was stabilised by inserting a rod into the tibia.
Screws and pins were then used to stabilise the bones in the foot and ankle.
According to Golf Digest, a surgical release of the covering of the muscle was also performed to relieve pressure due to swelling.
What are tibia and fibula bones?
Tibia and fibula are the two long bones located in the lower leg.
“The tibia is a larger bone on the inside, and the fibula is a smaller bone on the outside,” explains John Hopkins Medicine.
The site added: “The tibia is much thicker than the fibula.
“It is the main weight-bearing bone of the two.”
Signs of tibia or fibula fractures
- Pain or swelling in the lower leg
- Inability to stand or walk – this is less likely if only the fibula is broken
- Limited range of motion in the knee or ankle area
- Bruising or discolouration of the skin around the break.
No stranger to injuries and health woes, Woods underwent a microdiscectomy procedure, which is surgery performed by spine surgeons consisting of removing a portion of the intervertebral disc.
He has also had a spinal-fusion surgery back in April 2017 and five operations on his back.
Woods has also had five surgeries on his left knee - the one he famously tore before winning the 2008 US Open.
Painful recovery
After the accident, Woods was unable to walk on his own.
For the sports star, the toughest part of the whole ordeal was the rehab afterwards.
"This has been an entirely different animal,” Woods told Golf Digest's Daniel Rapaport.
“I understand more of the rehab processes because of my past injuries, but this was more painful than anything I have ever experienced.”
The rehab focused on strengthening his right leg to help regain full mobility.
