Oconee High School senior Grady Spurlin is Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Athlete of the Month. The Athlete of the Month award is given each month to a student athlete who has shown perseverance while dealing with an injury or illness. 

Spurlin, who plays both lacrosse and football for Oconee High School, suffered an injury to his ACL and underwent ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction surgery with Dr. Robert Hancock, a well-respected orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon in Athens. Following surgery, Spurlin worked with Athletic Trainer Brittney Mitchell to rebuild strength in the knee and regain full range of motion.

"Grady is incredibly focused, hardworking, and committed to doing things the right way,” said Mitchell. “He was especially focused during his jump/land exercises, making sure his landings were steady and his leg felt strong.”  

There are four major ligaments in the knee that connect the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shin bone), and when damaged, they may cause the knee joint to become unstable. The ACL is located in the center of the knee and controls the rotation and forward movement of the tibia. A torn ACL severely limits knee movement, including the ability to pivot, turn, or twist the leg. Reconstruction surgery restores stability and a full range of motion to the knee.

"Grady has put a lot of effort into his recovery and is now 10 and a half months post-op," said Mitchell. "Because of his discipline, he has passed all of his “return to sport” testing and is back to practicing with the Oconee High football team.”

The Piedmont Athens Regional Orthopedic Sports Medicine team established the Athlete of the Month program to recognize the dedication of student athletes in the area.

"The athletes we work with are truly amazing and have to overcome so much to play sports again after an injury or illness," said Katie Terrell, athletic trainer and outreach coordinator for the hospital’s sports medicine program. "This award was developed to celebrate their hard work in our sports medicine rehab program. We’re excited about working with student athletes from middle school through college and into adulthood. Our athletic trainers and therapists have advanced training in sports medicine and are dedicated to keeping student athletes playing their sport."

As the Athlete of the Month, Spurlin 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.