Arnie breaks leg in skiing accident

ARNOLD Schwarzenegger will need crutches, screws to secure his thigh bone and several weeks of recovery after undergoing surgery on his broken leg, his surgeon said.

The 59-year-old governor of California, actor and former bodybuilder was scheduled for surgery yesterday in Los Angeles to repair his fractured right femur, which he broke while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho, at the weekend.

“As is standard for this type of surgery, the governor will be kept for observation for three days,” said Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, the orthopedic surgeon performing the surgery.

Dr Ehrhart said Mr Schwarzenegger’s recovery would take about eight weeks, and cables and screws would be used to secure his upper right thigh bone.

He said he had spoken with Mr Schwarzenegger since the accident and described the governor as “very comfortable”.

While Mr Schwarzenegger was under anaesthetic, expected to last no longer than two hours, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante was the acting governor, said Andrea Lynn Hoch, the governor’s legal affairs secretary.

Mr Schwarzenegger did not intend to delay his second inauguration, scheduled for January 5, said spokeswoman Julie Soderlund.