Schwarzenegger undergoes surgery after breaking leg during ski vacation

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's broken leg was put back together with wires and screws Tuesday, and the "Terminator" star should make a full recovery, though he will probably be on crutches during his inauguration next week, officials aid.

The 59-year-old former bodybuilder broke his right thigh bone over the holiday weekend while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho. He underwent a 90-minute operation.

"Following the surgery, the governor was awake, alert and talking in the recovery room," said Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, who performed the operation at St. John's Health Center. "He is now fully coherent, and I have cleared him to resume his duties as governor."

Schwarzenegger will remain hospitalized for three days, and his full recovery will take about eight weeks, the surgeon said.

"I expect the governor to fully recover. The governor is not in a cast and will use crutches to walk while his leg heals," he said.

The governor's second inauguration is set for Jan. 5.

The fracture is the governor's third medical problem in just over a year.

In January, he needed 15 stitches to repair his cut lip after colliding with a car while riding his motorcycle in Los Angeles. He also spent several hours at a hospital last December with a rapid heartbeat.