Rationale and design of a prospective, randomised study of retrograde application of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) through coronary sinus in patients with congestive heart failure of ischemic etiology (the RETRO study)

Background Heart failure (HF) is a major chronic illness and results in high morbidity and mortality. The most frequent cause of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) is coronary artery disease (CAD). Although revascularisation of ischemic myocardium lead to improvements in myocardial contractility and systolic function, it cannnot restore the viability of the already necrotic myocardium.