Ricky’s Story: Back In the Game After Broken Femur

Ricky Boone suffered what could have been a major setback in his Beavercreek High School athletic career, but the continuum of care he found at Miami Valley Hospital has him back in the game.

It was Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, and Ricky was playing in a freshman football scrimmage match against Alter High School. “It was the last play of the game, and I was hit by four linebackers. I remember feeling a pop,” says Ricky.

That ‘pop’ was a clean snap of his femur (thigh bone) in his right leg. Athletic trainer Amy Bernard was working the game that day and immediately went to Ricky on the field to assess the situation. Ricky remembers several people around him. “At first I’m not sure they knew what had happened, but my leg was bent an entirely different way. Amy called 911 and then called Dr. Herbenick to alert him to the situation and get him to Miami Valley Hospital.”

The paramedics gave Ricky morphine on the field to alleviate the pain of moving him to the ambulance. “I remember the ride to Miami Valley was kind of bumpy.”

Michael Herbenick, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Premier Orthopedics, was waiting for Ricky at the Miami Valley Hospital Trauma Center. Ricky was fitted for traction, which he recalls as being quite painful. “They put a screw through my shin bone and had to pull it down. It hurt.”

Ricky was then transferred to the orthopedic unit to rest before surgery. “The room was beautiful, and the nurses were so nice. They let all my friends come visit me and that really made me feel better.” His surgery was scheduled for the following afternoon.

Dr. Herbenick explained the surgery to Ricky and his mother, Amy. “He told me the surgery would be about two or three hours,” says Amy. “The surgery ended up being more like five hours, but Dr. Herbenick came out and talked to me midway through the surgery to explain why it was taking longer. It really alleviated my anxiety.”

Ricky says throughout the ordeal he felt confident he was in the right hands. “Dr. Herbenick was the best doctor for this surgery. Someone referred to my injury as a ‘brutal’ injury,” says Ricky. Friday morning the nursing staff had Ricky up and walking with crutches. “I’d never walked on crutches before, and they were great teaching me how,” he says.

Ricky was discharged from the hospital Saturday with a wheelchair and crutches. His physical therapy began at Miami Valley Sport Medicine Beavercreek location, which was very convenient for him and his mother. “I’m a single mother and I work a lot. This made it so much easier for me,” says Amy. Ricky has nothing but kudos for the physical therapy team. “We worked hard and they showed me things I could do at home.” Ricky finally got back to school where he was a straight-A student, student council member and president of his class. “It took me a while to get my grades back up, but I finally did it.”

Upon completing his seven weeks of physical therapy, Ricky ran a mile. “I also did some conditioning and strength training with Amy, my athletic trainer, to get ready for wrestling. I ended up not being able to wrestle because of pain, but I conditioned the entire season.”

Ricky is playing baseball this spring and is training for his sophomore year on the football team. “I believe the tremendous care I received helped me get back on my feet sooner. From my athletic trainer Amy to Dr. Herbenick to the trauma center and the physical therapy here in Beavercreek, Miami Valley Hospital was great.”