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US President-elect Joe Biden broke his right foot after slipping while playing with his dog Major.
The injury was discovered in a scan Sunday and likely required him to wear a boot for several weeks, his doctor said.
Biden suffered the injury Saturday and visited an orthopedist in Newark, Delaware on Sunday afternoon, his office said.
“Initial X-rays did not show any obvious fractures,” but medical staff ordered a more detailed CT scan, his doctor, Kevin O’Connor, said in a statement. The subsequent scan found small fractures of two small bones in the middle of his right foot, O’Connor said.
“It is anticipated that you will probably need a walking boot for several weeks,” O’Conner said.
Fractures are a general concern as people age, but Biden’s appears to be relatively mild based on his doctor’s statement and planned treatment. At 78, he will be the oldest president when he takes office in January; he often dismissed questions about his age during the campaign.
Reporters covering the president-elect did not get a chance to see Biden enter the doctor’s office on Sunday, despite multiple requests. Leaving the doctor’s office to head to an imaging center for his CT scan, Biden was visibly limping, although he walked without crutches or other assistance.
Biden will be the oldest person to assume the US presidency when he is sworn in next year, and his health is likely to be closely watched by allies and opponents alike.
Biden and his wife, Jill, adopted Major in 2018, having acquired their first dog, Champ, after the 2008 election. The Bidens have said they will bring their dogs to the White House and also plan to have a cat.
Biden has frequently rejected questions about his age in the election campaign. He published a medical report in December that revealed that he takes statin tablets to keep his cholesterol at healthy levels, but his doctor described him as “healthy, vigorous” and “fit to perform the functions of the presidency successfully.”
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
