Baseline variables, imaging, procedures, and outcomes
| Parameter | No thrombus migration (n=441) | Thrombus migration (n=71) | P |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 76 (66–83) | 75 (65–83) | 0.88 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 250 (56.7) | 34 (47.9) | 0.17 |
| Pre-stroke mRS≤2, n (%) | 369 (83.7) | 61 (85.9) | 0.63 |
| NIHSS at admission, median (IQR) | 15 (10–19) | 16 (10–20) | 0.17 |
| Arterial hypertension, n (%) | 351 (79.6) | 54 (76.1) | 0.71 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 94 (21.3) | 11 (15.5) | 0.48 |
| Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 213 (48.3) | 34 (47.9) | 0.92 |
| Atrial fibrillation, n (%) | 224 (50.8) | 38 (53.5) | 0.85 |
| Current smoking, n (%) | 61 (14.5) | 5 (7.6) | 0.20 |
| LAA as stroke etiology, n (%) | 149 (33.8) | 17 (23.9) | 0.10 |
| Antiplatetelet agent, n (%) | 129 (29.3) | 21 (29.6) | 0.95 |
| Anticoagulation,* n (%) | 88 (20.0) | 8 (11.3) | 0.08 |
| Primary admission at interventional hospital, n (%) | 399 (90.5) | 63 (88.7) | 0.65 |
| MRI as primary imaging, n (%) | 70 (15.9) | 17 (23.9) | 0.09 |
| ASPECTS, median (IQR) | 8 (6-10) | 8 (6-9) | 0.80 |
| Known onset of stroke, n (%) | 228 (51.7) | 50 (70.4) | <0.01 |
| Intravenous thrombolysis, n (%) | 210 (47.6) | 53 (74.6) | <0.01 |
| Onset-to-needle time (min), median (IQR) | 90 (70–117) | 80 (66–105) | 0.11 |
| General anesthesia, n (%) | 280/431 (65.0) | 54/69 (78.3) | 0.03 |
| Use of stent-retrievers,† n (%) | 292/429 (68.1) | 42/56‡ (75.0) | 0.29 |
| Onset-to-groin time (min), median (IQR) | 175 (140–240) | 165 (132–216) | 0.23 |
| Imaging-to-groin time (min), median (IQR) | 83 (63–112) | 87 (72–121) | 0.10 |
| Needle-to-groin time (min), median (IQR) | 70 (48–95) | 75 (62–106) | 0.10 |
| Groin to flow restoration time (min), median (IQR) | 30 (20–54) | 36 (25–52) | 0.51 |
| Symptom onset to flow restoration time (min), median (IQR) | 208 (166–285) | 190 (154–259) | 0.18 |
| Clinical, technical, and safety outcomes | No thrombus migration (n=441) | Thrombus migration (n=71) | aOR (95% CI) | P |
| mRS≤2 at day 90, n (%) | 133/428 (31.1) | 22/69 (31.9) | 0.89 (0.47 to 1.68) | 0.72 |
| Successful reperfusion (mTICI 2b/3), n (%) | 375 (86.0) | 62 (91.2) | 3.35 (0.78 to 14.46) | 0.11 |
| Complete reperfusion (mTICI 3), n (%) | 241 (55.3) | 26 (38.2) | 0.46 (0.24 to 0.90) | 0.02 |
| Death during hospital stay, n (%) | 94 (21.4) | 13 (18.3) | 0.74 (0.36 to 1.55) | 0.43 |
| Death at day 90, n (%) | 136/428 (31.8) | 21/428 (31.6) | 0.95 (0.49 to 1.83) | 0.89 |
| sICH, n (%) | 24/441 (5.4) | 5/71 (7.0) | 0.99 (0.35 to 2.78) | 0.98 |
| Any ICH, n (%) | 54/441 (12.2) | 6/71 (8.5) | 0.55 (0.22 to 1.37) | 0.20 |
| Parenchymal hematoma, n (%) | 37 (8.4) | 5 (7,0) | ||
| Subarachnoid hemorrhage, n (%) | 17 (3.9) | 1 (1.4) |
p-values in bold type denote statistical significance.
*Apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban, phenprocoumon, heparin.
†Stent-retrievers vs aspiration only.
‡Mechanical thrombectomy not attempted in 15 patients (occlusion site too distal).
aOR, adjusted odds ratio; ASPECTS, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score; CI, confidence interval; ICH, intracranial hemorrhage; IQR, interquartile range; LAA, large artery atherosclerosis; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; mRS, modified Rankin Scale; mTICI, modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; sICH, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.