So Westbrook is out for the year because they "repaired" his lateral meniscus rather than "remove" it. If this is so I need to ask Myles or others in the know how do you repair a meniscus? The meniscus is made of cartilage and has no inherent blood supply and therefore is unable to heal itself.
Actually depends on which part of the meniscus you're talking about. Part is well vascularized and part isn't. Also depends on how tear occurred (horizontally or vertically, etc.).
From orthopedics.com:
The meniscus is a circular piece of cartilage with its blood supply coming from the outer rim. In order for the meniscus repair to heal, the tear must be near this outer edge in an area of good blood supply (nutrients from the blood vessels are necessary for healing)--this is the so-called red (vascular)-white (non-vascular) region of the meniscus.
Tears in the central portion of the meniscus will not heal even if a meniscus repair is performed. These central tears will be removed by your surgeon. However, studies seem to show that if a meniscus repair is possible, the long-term outcome is better for the patient because of a decreased the risk of arthritis later in life.
How is the meniscus repair performed?
Techniques of meniscus repair include using arthroscopically placed tacks or suturing the torn edges. Both procedures function by reapproximating the torn edges of the meniscus to allow them to heal in their proper place and not get caught in the knee causing the symptoms described above.