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To evaluate the effect of bone marrow cell injection on global strain and left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony.In 14 patients with severe postinfarction heart failure, 93 (14) x 10(6) autologous bone marrow cells were percutaneously injected in the infarction border zone. LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV dyssynchrony and echocardiographic global strain were assessed at baseline and 3 months in patients and in a non-randomised control group of 10 patients with a history of infarction who developed heart failure and were treated medically.No periprocedural complications occurred during bone marrow cell injection. At 3 months mean (SD) LVEF increased from 23 (8)% to 27 (9)% (p = 0.02) and global strain improved from -7.7 (4.7)% to -8.5 (4.9)% (p = 0.04). In patients withor =5% improvement in LVEF after bone marrow cell injection, global strain improved from -8.7 (4.6)% to -10.6 (4.5)% (p0.01). Global strain remained unchanged in patients with5% improvement in LVEF (-6.6 (4.9)% vs -6.4 (4.5)%, p = NS). The relation between the increase in LVEF and improvement in global strain was significant (r = 0.84, p0.01). In patients withor =5% improvement in LVEF, LV dyssynchrony decreased from 173 (64) ms to 116 (64) ms (p = 0.01). In patients with5% improvement in LVEF, LV dyssynchrony remained unchanged (155 (67) ms vs 177 (81) ms, p = NS). The correlation between improvement in LVEF and reduction in LV dyssynchrony was good (r = -0.77, p0.01). In the control group, LVEF, global strain and LV dyssynchrony did not improve.Bone marrow cell injection improves LVEF in patients with severe postinfarction heart failure. The improvement in LVEF was related to reduced LV dyssynchrony and increased global strain.

For a 74-year-old man with angina pectoris and demonstrated myocardial ischaemia, optimal medical treatment was insufficient. He was ineligible for coronary revascularization. To improve myocardial perfusion, autologous bone-marrow stem cells were injected into the ischaemic myocardium. During the months following the injection, the frequency of angina attacks decreased and myocardial perfusion and cardiac function improved.