The morphometry of the accessory leaflets of the tricuspid valve in a four cuspidal model

Abstract

The tricuspid valve is of great importance because of the progress made in operative techniques and invasive cardiology accidents. This structure is more differentiated during evolution than the mitral valve. Accessory leaflets, their frequency and role are still controversial, despite the fact that they have been known from the beginning of the 20th century. The number of leaflets in the tricuspid valve grows in an evolutionary line, but the rules governing their appearance are still not known. The samples were taken from a group of 107 human adult hearts. The four-cuspidal form of the tricuspid valve was used as the simplest model to show the appearance of accessory leaflets for anatomical and statistical examination. On the basis of the results of this study we conclude that the separation of accessory leaflets is a complex process.