President Joe Biden was given a clean bill of health by the new White House physician on Saturday following routine X-rays he received for foot fractures he endured while playing with his dogs in December.
The president’s hairline fractures were “completely healed,” Dr Kevin O’Connor said in a statement as Mr Biden was visiting his hometown in Delaware after his second week in office. Both of the first family’s German Shepherds, Champ and Major, have since moved into the White House.
After wearing a walking boot for several weeks and adhering to what his doctor described as a “strict physical therapy regimen,” Mr Biden was expected to resume his normal exercise routine with no permanent damage caused by the fall.
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The incoming president slipped while playing with his dogs prior to his inauguration, and his “symptoms have improved as expected,” Dr O’Connor said on Saturday.
At 78 years old, Mr Biden was the oldest president ever inaugurated. He responded to questions about his health and age along the campaign trail, insisting he had the energy and mental fitness to lead.
Dr O’Connor, a retired US Army colonel and longtime physician to the president, was appointed to the top medical position in the White House last month.
He previously examined then-candidate Mr Biden last year, describing him as a “healthy, vigorous” man “fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”
Dr O'Connor will oversee medical care for the first family, replacing Dr Sean Conley, an appointee of former President Donald Trump who sparked backlash for providing misleading statements about his health after he contracted the novel coronavirus.
In his statement, Dr O’Connor said he gave the president a “10-week post-injury weight-bearing X-ray” to ensure the sprains did not lead to a more significant injury.
