The Sports Medicine department at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center named Mandrell Glenn, a senior football player at Cedar Shoals High School, Athlete of the Month. Each month, the program gives an award to a student athlete who has shown perseverance while dealing with an injury or illness. 

In the spring of 2022, Glenn underwent a right knee lateral meniscus repair followed by rehabilitation to strengthen the knee. Glenn was determined to get better so he could play football in his senior year. He was focused on his recovery and often asked for advice on how he could improve his strength training in the weight room and do his at-home exercises more consistently. 

"Drell never complained during his therapy sessions," said Patrick Murray, a Piedmont Athens Regional Orthopedic Sports Medicine athletic trainer. "His goal from day one was to get back on the field, so he worked hard and took every opportunity to get stronger." 

The meniscus is a flexible, supportive cartilage in the knee that can tear due to injury. A torn meniscus may cause pain and swelling in the knee and limit mobility. An orthopedic specialist may recommend a meniscectomy, a surgical procedure in which the meniscus is completely or partially removed. Following surgery, patients use rehabilitation to strengthen the knee and regain range of motion. 

"After surgery, Drell had six weeks where he could not put weight on his leg and gradually increased every two weeks after the amount of weight he was able to tolerate," said Murray. "Toward the end of his rehab, Drell had his head coach attend a session to see his progress and ease some of the apprehension about him returning to practice. Because of his hard work, Drell was able to return with full clearance for his senior season, only sitting out for the first few games." 

The Athlete of the Month program was started by the Orthopedic Sports Medicine team at Piedmont Athens Regional to honor the hard work of student athletes in the area. 

"The athletes we work with are truly amazing and have to overcome so much in order to play sports again after an injury or illness," said Katie Terrell, athletic trainer and outreach coordinator for the hospital’s sports medicine program. "The award was developed to celebrate their hard work in our sports medicine rehab program. Each month, we focus on one high school and meet as a committee, which includes the school’s athletic director, other members of their team, and members of the athletic training program." 

As the Athlete of the Month, Glenn received a certificate and is featured in the Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility located on Piedmont’s Oconee Health Campus in Watkinsville, Ga. 

For more information about services offered by Piedmont Physicians Orthopedic Sports Medicine of Athens, visit piedmont.org/AthensOrthoSportsMed.