Corrective spinal surgery may be protective against stroke in patients with blunt traumatic vertebral artery occlusion.

CONCLUSIONS Traumatic VA occlusion is associated with a risk of ischemic stroke and mortality. Corrective cervical spine surgery potentially decreases the risk of ischemic stroke by stabilizing the spine and thereby reducing motion across the occluded segment of the VA and preventing embolization of thrombus. While a high stoke risk may be inherent to the disease, novel therapies should be investigated. PMID: 26186525 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26186525?dopt=Abstract

Source: Journal of Neurosurgery.Spine - July 17, 2015 Category: Neurosurgery Authors: Foreman PM, Griessenauer CJ, Chua M, Hadley MN, Harrigan MR Tags: J Neurosurg Spine Source Type: research