Woman Wonders Why Tattoo Hurt So Much, Scan Reveals Shocking Truth - Newsweek

What the report says

Newsweek reported that Skylar Jordan Linn, a 24-year-old from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, discovered a bone lesion in her right fibula had enlarged after she sought medical attention for ankle pain. Linn had received tattoos on both ankles on July 16, 2023 — a paper airplane on the left and a butterfly on the right — and later recalled that the right ankle tattoo was far more painful, though she did not know why at the time.

According to Newsweek, Linn’s pain resurfaced after she went ice skating with her boyfriend for their anniversary in late January 2026. Once general soreness faded, she noticed a sharper pain in one spot of her ankle. Linn reviewed records from a 2016 MRI, which had identified a 1.4-centimeter lesion in the same area, then raised the concern with her doctor. She told Newsweek that an X-ray showed the lesion had grown to 3 centimeters, and she pushed for further imaging because she suspected the pain was in the bone rather than tendons.

Newsweek reported that Linn underwent surgery in May to remove the tumor, involving curettage and an allograft bone graft to clear the lesion and fill the space with donor tissue. A biopsy did not place the tumor into a specific diagnostic category, according to the article. Linn said she continues to feel pain but believes it may be part of recovery.

The case gained attention after Linn posted about it on TikTok, where Newsweek said the video had more than 300,200 views and 8,700 likes at publication. Linn emphasized to Newsweek that the tattoo did not cause the tumor, though she wondered whether tattooing over the same spot may have aggravated it.