Left ventricle, aorta, Pulmonary artery

LEFT VENTRICLE, AORTA AND PULMONARY ARTERY

Dissection

  • Incise the ventricular wall from the coronary groove downwards just behind the longitudinal grooves and let the two incisions meet at the apex.
  • Note that the moderator bands are tendinous and branched.
  • There are two large musculi papillares and the chordaetendineae are fewer.
  • The left atrioventricular opening is circular and is guarded by a bicuspid valve. Note the position of the cusps.

Dissection

  • Slit open the aorta along its length and extend the incision to the common brachincephalic trunk.
  • Make small incisions on the sides of the bulbus aortae to examine the aortic opening.
  • The aortic valve composed of three cusps, an anterior, a left posterior and right posterior guards the aortic opening.
  • Between these cusps and the wall of aorta are the sinuses of the aorta. Note the origin of the right corronary artery from the anterior sinus and that of the left coronary artery from the left posterior sinus.

Dissection

  • Slit open the pulmonary artery at the conus arteriosus and examine the pulmonary valve.
  • Note the position of the cusps and sinuses of pulmonary artery. Note also the ligamentum arteriosum connecting the terminal part of the pulmonary artery to the aorta, by clearing the space between aortic arch and pulmonary artery.
  • Study the course and distribution of the coronary arteries.
  • Study the arrangement of muscle fibres in the ventricles and the interventricular septum by peeling off the muscle fibres in layers.
Last modified: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 6:19 AM