President-elect Joe Biden suffered hairline fractures in his right foot while playing with his dog and will wear an orthopedic walking boot, Biden’s transition team said Sunday.
Biden slipped and twisted his ankle on Saturday while he was playing with Major, one of his two German shepherds, and he was seen by a doctor on Sunday.
Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, said in an initial statement that Biden was diagnosed with a sprain in his right foot but would need further tests.
“Initial X-rays are reassuring that there is no obvious fracture and he will be getting an additional CT for more detailed imaging,” O’Connor said in a statement.
A Biden spokesperson said the team arranged for Biden to get an X-ray and another CT on Sunday afternoon to avoid disrupting his plans for Monday. The spokesperson noted delays were expected, as closed offices were being opened and staff needed time to set up.
Those X-rays revealed hairline fractures in the foot, and the president-elect will wear a walking boot for “several weeks,” according to his campaign in a statement later Sunday evening.
“Initial x-rays did not show any obvious fracture, but his clinical exam warranted more detailed imaging. Follow-up CT scan confirmed hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden’s lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the mid-foot. It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks,” said O’Connor.
The former vice president, who turned 78 last week, will become the oldest president inaugurated into office in U.S. history.
Biden has been widely recognized as the president-elect for three weeks, but President Trump has refused to concede, instead promoting unfounded claims that widespread voter fraud contributed to Biden’s win.
Trump’s campaign has filed several lawsuits in different battleground states contesting the vote, with little success.
Major and Biden’s other German shepherd, named Champ, are slated to become the first dogs in a return to tradition after the Trump family did not have a dog in the White House.
Updated at 7:45 p.m.