Predictors and clinical correlates of stent fracture after rapamycin-eluting vertebral artery stenting

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of stent fracture following rapamycin-eluting stent implantation for symptomatic extracranial vertebral artery stenosis and to evaluate its clinical impact. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted on 140 patients (147 stents) treated between January 2021 and January 2025. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of stent fracture, while Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated associations between stent fracture, in-stent restenosis, and target vessel stroke. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 14 months (IQR 10-17.5), fracture occurred in 23 stents (15.6%). Longer stent length (HR 1.172, 95% CI 1.078 to 1.274, P