Surgeon reveals full extent of Bono's bike crash injuries - and they're much worse than first revealed

The extent of the injuries sustained by U2 frontman Bono when he crashed while riding a bike in New York City’s Central Park at the weekend have been revealed today – and they are much more extensive than first thought.

The Irish singer, real name Paul Hewson, underwent five hours of surgery to have three metal plates and 18 screws inserted in his arm, where his humerus bone had shattered in six places, the bone protruding through his skin.

He underwent a second round of surgery on Monday for a broken bone in the little finger of his left hand, but the injuries did not stop there. He also fractured his left shoulder blade in three places, and sustained a fractured eye socket.

A statement from U2 after the crash said simply that he had hurt his arm and would be forced to miss several planned TV appearances. Following today’s medical update, however, Rolling Stone says it is too early to say whether his injuries will affect a planned tour by the band.

Guitarist The Edge had told the magazine in September: "The tour is still in the planning stage so it's too early to describe what it will be like," said the guitarist. "I think we will start small. We certainly can't get any bigger than the last tour."

According to a statement from orthopaedic trauma surgeon Dean Lorich MD of the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where Bono was taken after the crash, it happened while the singer was trying to avoid another cyclist.

Here is his statement in full:

On November 16th, Bono was involved in a high energy bicycle accident when he attempted to avoid another rider.  Presented as a Trauma Alert to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's Emergency Department, his Trauma

Work-up at that time included multiple X-rays and CAT scans showed injuries that include:

1. Left facial fracture involving the orbit of his eye.

2. Left scapula (shoulder blade) fracture in three separate pieces.

3. Left compound distal humerus fracture where the bone of his humerus was driven though his skin and the bone was in six different pieces. He was taken emergently to the operating room for a five-hour surgery Sunday evening where the elbow was washed out and debrided, a nerve trapped in the break was moved and the bone was repaired with three metal plates and 18 screws.

4. One day later, he had surgery to his left hand to repair a fracture of his 5th metacarpal.

He will require intensive and progressive therapy, however a full recovery is expected.

Dean Lorich, MD
Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon
New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Hospital For Special Surgery