Background Emerging evidence suggests that stem cells can be used to improve cardiac function in patients after acute myocardial infarction. In this randomized trial, we aimed to use Doppler tissue tracking and strain imaging to assess left ventricular segmental function after intracoronary transfer of autologous bone-marrow stem cells (BMCs) for 6 months follow up. Methods Twenty patients with acute myocardial infarction and anterior descending coronary artery occlusion proven by angiography were double-blindedly randomized into intracoronary injection of bone-marrow cell (treated, n=9) or diluted serum (control, n=11) groups. GE vivid 7 and Q-analyze software were used to perform echocardiogram in both groups 1 week, 3 months and 6 months after treatment. Three apical views of tissue Doppler imaging were acquired to measure peak systolic displacement (Ds) and peak systolic strain (εpeak) from 12 segments of LV walls. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) were obtained by Simposons biplane method. Results (1) 3 months later, Ds and εpeak over the infract-related region clearly increased in the BMCs group [Ds: (4.49±2.71) mm vs (7.56±2.95) mm, P0.05]. At the same time, Ds over the normal region also increased, but the Ds enhancement was markedly higher in the BMCs group than that in the control group [(3.21±3.17) mm vs (0.76±1.94) mm, P0.05). (2) LVEF in treated and control groups were almost the same at baseline (1st week after PCI) [(53.37±8.92)% vs (53.51±5.84)%, P>0.05]. But 6 months later, LVEF in the BMCs group were clearly higher than that in the control group [(59.33±12.91)% vs (50.30±8.30)%, P0.05; ESV: (57.12±18.66) ml vs (62.09±17.68) ml, P>0.05]. Three months later, EDV and ESV in the control group were markedly greater than those in the BMCs group [EDV: (154.89±46.34) ml vs (104.85±33.21) ml, P