Baseline characteristics, occlusion site, clot aetiology and stent retrievers used between groups
| Characteristics | Cat 5 (n=76) | Cat 6 (n=78) | Cat 7 (n=84) | P value | |
| Cat 5 versus Cat 7 | Cat 6 versus Cat 7 | ||||
| Age (years) | 78 (71.0–83.3) | 73.5 (62.8–84.0) | 74 (63–82) | 0.132 | 0.609 |
| Female sex | 48 (63.2) | 43 (55.1) | 49 (58.3) | 0.533 | 0.681 |
| ASPECTS | 8 (7–9) | 9 (7–10) | 8 (7–9) | 0.339 | 0.094 |
| NIHSS score | 18.5 (12–23) | 17.5 (10–20.8) | 16 (12–20) | 0.129 | 0.667 |
| Intravenous tPA | 23 (30.3) | 36 (46.2) | 34 (40.5) | 0.178 | 0.466 |
| Time onset–groin (min) | 210 (163–325) | 195 (155–345) | 230 (162–324) | 0.564 | 0.651 |
| General anaesthesia | 28 (36.8) | 43 (55.1) | 40 (47.6) | 0.168 | 0.726 |
| Tandem occlusion | 11 (14.5) | 13 (16.7) | 13 (15.5) | 0.859 | 0.837 |
| Occlusion site | 0.304 | 0.195 | |||
| Carotid terminus | 20 (26.3) | 22 (28.2) | 30 (35.7) | ||
| MCA M1 | 43 (56.6) | 40 (51.3) | 45 (53.6) | ||
| MCA M2 | 13 (17.1) | 16 (20.5) | 9 (10.7) | ||
| Clot origin | 0.070 | 0.319 | |||
| Atherothrombotic | 5 (6.6) | 14 (17.9) | 10 (11.9) | ||
| Cardioembolic | 54 (71.1) | 42 (53.8) | 48 (57.1) | ||
| Other | 0 (0) | 1 (1.3) | 5 (6) | ||
| Undetermined | 17 (22.4) | 21 (26.9) | 21 (25) | ||
| Arch type | 0.728 | 0.064 | |||
| Type I | 17 (22.4) | 23 (29.5) | 23 (22.4) | ||
| Type II | 44 (57.9) | 51 (65.4) | 47 (57.9) | ||
| Type III | 15 (19.7) | 4 (5.1) | 14 (17.9) | ||
| Cervical tortuosity | 0.764 | 0.143 | |||
| Straight–tortuosity | 47 (61.8) | 55 (70.5) | 50 (59.5) | ||
| Coiling–kinking | 29 (38.2) | 23 (29.5) | 34 (40.5) | ||
| Intracranial tortuosity | 0.094 | 0.140 | |||
| Types IA and IB | 48 (63.2) | 48 (61.5) | 42 (50) | ||
| Types II, III and IV | 28 (36.8) | 30 (38.5) | 42 (50) | ||
| Stent retrievers used | 0.157 | 0.430 | |||
| Aperio | 14 (18.4) | 10 (12.8) | 13 (15.5) | ||
| Catch | 10 (13.2) | 7 (9.0) | 2 (2.4) | ||
| Embotrap | 6 (7.9) | 8 (10.3) | 8 (9.5) | ||
| pREset | 25 (32.9) | 34 (43.6) | 36 (42.9) | ||
| Trevo | 21 (27.6) | 19 (24.4) | 25 (29.8) | ||
Values are presented as number (%) or median (IQR).
ASPECTS, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score; Cat, Catalyst; MCA, middle cerebral artery; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; tPA, tissue-type plasminogen activator.