We live in Indiana, about 500 miles from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. I'd like to get a second opinion about my 17-year-old son's torn meniscus. The doctor says it's damaged very severely. He may need more than one operation. Is the Mayo Clinic the best place for a second opinion on this type of condition?

You may not need to go that far. The Cincinnati Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, is right in your backyard. Dr. Frank Noyes and his associates have done many studies of the knee.

They've recently published the results of research on the topic of meniscal transplantation. A group of young adults with severely damaged cartilage were included. It's the first time meniscus transplant with bone graft was used.

The long-term results aren't known but short-term effects were good. Patients had less knee pain and more function. Some were able to return to light sports. The surgeons advised against high impact or strenuous athletics.

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