Abstract
Critical limb ischemia is the worst stadium of peripheral arterial disease and patients suffering from it have a severely decreased quality of life. Up to 20% critical limb ischemia patients are not suitable for endovascular or surgical treatment.
Bone marrow derived stem and progenitor cells have been identified as a new potential therapeutic option to induce angiogenesis. Clinical benefits were reported in many clinical trials.
These results should be verified by larger randomized placebo-controlled studies.