Madrid - Spanish MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa, who broke his collarbone in a crash during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, underwent successful surgery in Spain on Saturday, the hospital treating him said.
The 25-year-old was admitted to the USP Dexeus hospital in Barcelona after flying over from Japan following the accident on Friday.
Pedrosa "was successfully operated on" to fix a collarbone that was broken into four pieces, the hospital said in a statement.
In the two-hour operation, surgeons "attached a special titanium plate" to the bone.
Pedrosa also underwent X-rays that confirmed he had suffered a sprain in his left ankle.
The rider is expected to remain in the hospital for a further 24 to 48 hours, but the hospital did not indicate when he might be able to return to racing.
The Honda rider saw his chances of winning the MotoGP Championship almost certainly ended Friday when he crashed at a V-shape corner within the first five minutes of practice for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi.
A problem with the bike meant he could not close the throttle when he started braking for a turn, the team said.
Pedrosa is the only racer with a chance of overtaking Spaniard and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo Lorenzo in the race for the title, with five races of the 2010 season remaining, including Motegi.