Debra Picciotti values her independence. At 75, she lives alone in her Mechanicsburg, Pa., home and enjoys gardening and knitting. So after fracturing her left femur in 2025, she worried about the possibility of a long recovery. But then she learned that orthopaedic trauma surgeon Matthew Garner, MD, could help ensure a faster recovery.

After undergoing surgery in May 2025, Debra could bear weight on the injured leg the next day. More than a year later, she's still living life independently and is thankful to Dr. Garner for his care.

"I wish (doctors) were all like him," she says. "He is so personable and kind. I don't have enough adjectives to describe him.

"He's just a nice guy, and you can talk to him," she adds. "He's excited for you when you're doing well."

A Traumatic Injury

Debra's injury occurred on Mother's Day 2025, when she went to the cemetery to place flowers on her mother's grave. While walking on uneven ground, Debra lost her balance and fell, landing on her previously replaced left knee. She fractured her left femur as a result of the impact.

"Because of the metal plate from my knee replacement, landing on my knee caused (my femur) to shatter," Debra says.

The femur, also known as the thigh bone, is the strongest bone in the body. It often takes a trauma — such as a fall from height or a car accident — to cause a femur fracture. But minor falls can cause femur fractures in people with weaker bones.

Debra had fractured the femur in her right leg several years before, and knew something was wrong right away.

"Actually, it was lucky, I guess; because it was Mother's Day, there were people around, and they heard me scream," she says. "A lovely couple and their family stayed by me and helped me. It was very nice of them."

Not only couldn't Debra get up, but she was also in severe pain — the worst she'd ever had.

"You couldn't even touch my leg, and I was screaming bloody murder," she says. "It was horrible. I would never wish that on anybody."

From Emergency Care to Surgery

Emergency responders transported Debra to the nearest hospital, UPMC Harrisburg. X-rays showed a fractured femur just above the knee.

"The doctors there were excellent," Debra says.

The emergency team contacted orthopaedic surgeon Scott King, DO, who'd previously treated Debra. He recommended Dr. Garner, who specializes in treating complex fractures.

"(Dr. Garner) said he could help me, and I would be walking right away," Debra says.

That timeline appealed to Debra, who otherwise faced the possibility of a much longer recovery. She chose to have Dr. Garner perform the surgery.

"I'm independent, and I don't like depending on people," she says. "Being in a wheelchair, you really have to depend on people to help you. It was a big relief to me to know that I could have mobility as soon as I did."

Once transported to UPMC West Shore, Dr. Garner performed her surgery the next day.

Walking Soon After Surgery

Although the hours before surgery are a blur, Debra remembers waking up afterward without pain.

"It was surprisingly wonderful," she says. "I was in no pain. I probably (took pain medicine) for minor pain, but as far as the pain of when I broke it, that was gone."

Better yet, she could put weight on her leg again. Her care team had her out of bed and moving around the day after her surgery.

After three days in recovery, Debra transferred to Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital, which had recently opened at UPMC West Shore. There, she did two weeks of physical therapy to strengthen her legs and address balance issues.

"Their main goal is to get you home and safe, and be safe," Debra says. "They were really good.

"I love UPMC because I've never had a problem," she adds. "Everybody's been so kind and nice that it's a pleasure to go there if you have to."

Debra returned home using a walker, but she had no trouble getting around her single-story ranch-style home.

"I didn't have steps and stuff, so I could get around by myself," she says. "My daughter didn't need to come and stay with me. But I used a walker around the house just to be on the safe side."

Debra continued physical therapy on an outpatient basis. After a couple of weeks, she moved from using a walker to a cane, then continued to progress. She ended up being in physical therapy for about nine months to regain her strength and balance.

Living a Normal Life

Over a year has passed since her surgery, and Debra describes her life as "excellent."

"I can go wherever I want to go and do whatever I want to do, without a cane, or walker, or anything," she says. "I don't have any pain."

At her last meeting with Dr. Garner, he congratulated her on her recovery. "I'm so glad that they contacted him and that he could help me get on my feet again," she says.

Along with being thankful for his care, Debra says she always enjoyed her interactions with Dr. Garner.

"It's just his personality," she says. "He doesn't act like a doctor. He doesn't come in in a white coat and be stiff. He just talks to you like a human being, like you're talking to your brother or something.

"We just got along wonderfully."