Abstract
The earliest documented interest in the anatomy of the aortic valvar complex stems from the Renaissance, with the description and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci (1513). Today, the need for accurate knowledge of the aortic valvar complex is imperative, especially for percutaneous therapies of the aortic valve.
The aortic valve should be considered within the wider context of its anatomical and functional unit, namely, the aortic root. The latter is the connection between the left ventricle and the ascending aorta, and is located on the right, posteriorly to the subpulmonary infundibulum; its posterior margin is wedged between the mitral valve orifice and the muscular portion of the interventricular septum. The aortic root goes from the basal plane where the aortic valve leaflets enter the left ventricle to the peripheral point where they enter the sinotubular junction. About two-thirds of the circumference of the lower part of the aortic root are connected to the muscular portion of the interventricular septum.
The remaining one-third is in continuity with the aortic leaflet of the mitral valve. Its components include the annulus, valve leaflets, commissures, sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, and interleaflet triangles.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schoen FJ. Evolving concepts of cardiac valve dynamics: the continuum of development, functional structure, pathobiology, and tissue engineering. Circulation. 2008;118:1864–80.
Hokken RB, Bartelings MM, Bogers AJ, Gittenberger-de Groot AC. Morphology of the pulmonary and aortic roots with regard to the pulmonary autograft procedure. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1997;113:453–61.
Anderson RH. Clinical anatomy of the aortic root. Heart. 2000;84:670–3.
Silver MA, Roberts WC. Detailed anatomy of the normally functioning aortic valve in hearts of normal and increased weight. Am J Cardiol. 1985;55:454–61.
Misfeld M, Sievers H. Heart valve macro- and microstructure. Philos Trans R Soc Lond Ser B Biol Sci. 2007;362:1421–36.
Vollebergh FE, Becker AE. Minor congenital variations of cusp size in tricuspid aortic valves. Possible link with isolated aortic stenosis. Br Heart J. 1977;39:1006–11.
Kunzelman KS, Grande KJ, David TE, et al. Aortic root and valve relationships. Impact on surgical repair. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1994;107:162–70.
Sutton JP III, Ho SY, Anderson RH. The forgotten interleaflet triangles: a review of the surgical anatomy of the aortic valve. Ann Thorac Surg. 1995;59:419–27.
Piazza N, de Jaegere P, Schultz C, et al. Anatomy of the aortic valvar complex and its implications for transcatheter implantation of the aortic valve. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2008;1:74–81.
Mihaljevic T, Sayeed MR, Stamou SC, Paul C. Pathophysiology of aortic valve disease. In: Cohn LH, editor. Cardiac surgery in the adult. New York: Mc Graw-Hill; 2008.
Roberts WC. The congenitally bicuspid aortic valve. A study of 85 autopsy cases. Am J Cardiol. 1970;26:72–83.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Indorato, F., Cosentino, S.G., Bartoloni, G. (2018). Anatomy of the Aortic Valve. In: Tamburino, C., Barbanti, M., Capodanno, D. (eds) Percutaneous Treatment of Left Side Cardiac Valves. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59620-4_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59620-4_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-59619-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-59620-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)