Faculty Collaboration Database

Spinal manipulative therapy and cervical artery dissection: A retrospective comparison with spontaneous, traumatic, and iatrogenic etiologies at a single academic medical center. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2021 Oct;209:106941

Date

09/22/2021

Pubmed ID

34547642

DOI

10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106941

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85115232775 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   2 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Cervical artery dissection (CAD) has been associated with spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). Although uncommonly reported, SMT-associated CADs hold devastating neurological consequences, warranting further exploration. We endeavored to investigate this association through the comparison of all CAD etiologies at a single academic medical center.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients diagnosed with CAD or transferred to our institution for primary management of CAD during the 10-year period from 2010 to 2020 (n = 578). Patients were divided into SMT-associated (within 1 month of presentation), spontaneous, traumatic, and iatrogenic cohorts.

RESULTS: SMT-associated dissections represented 23/578 (4%) of all dissections and 5.9% of vertebral artery dissections specifically. These patients were generally younger than those in the spontaneous (p = .004) and iatrogenic groups (p < .001), and more often non-smokers or former smokers compared to the spontaneous (p = .009), traumatic (p = .001), and iatrogenic (p = .008) groups. Additionally, the SMT group had a higher mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) than the spontaneous (p = .009) and traumatic (p = .003) types. SMT-associated CADs were more often vertebral and bilateral, compared to the spontaneous (p = .003; p < .001), traumatic (p = .047; p = .004), and iatrogenic (p = .002; p = .002) groups. Outcomes including infarct (p = .112), medical treatment (p = .523), intervention (p = .47), and length of stay (p = .512) were similar between the SMT and spontaneous groups.

CONCLUSIONS: In this unique study comparing SMT-associated CADs with other dissection etiologies, SMT-associated CADs were uncommon and not associated with worse clinical outcomes. However, SMT-associated CADs were more likely to be bilateral and affected the vertebral arteries in young, non-smoking patients with high LDL.

Author List

Plachinski SJ, Gliedt JA, Sacho R, Schneider MJ, King JA

Authors

Jordan Gliedt DC Assistant Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jeffrey A. King DC, MS Associate Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Academic Medical Centers
Adult
Aged
Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection
Female
Humans
Male
Manipulation, Spinal
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Vertebral Artery Dissection