Organ
Tricuspid valve
The right atrioventricular valve and its supports
High-yield
The name describes a standard three-region model, not an invariant number of leaflets in every heart.
Overview
The tricuspid apparatus controls flow between the right atrium and ventricle. Anterior, posterior and septal leaflet regions provide a conventional description, although additional leaflet divisions are common. Chordae connect the leaflets to variable papillary groups and, particularly on the septal side, directly to ventricular muscle.
Reference facts
- Location
- At the right atrioventricular junction
- Parts
- Leaflets conventionally grouped as anterior, posterior and septal, with variable subdivisions, chordae and papillary supports
- Blood supply
- Coronary branches supply surrounding right ventricular muscle; vessels within the leaflets are variable
- Innervation
- Sensory and autonomic fibers in the valve's intrinsic nerve networks
- Relations
- Septal attachment near the AV conduction axis; right coronary artery courses in the adjacent AV groove
- Function
- Admits atrial blood during filling and limits systolic backflow into the right atrium
Clinical correlation
Tricuspid regurgitation can result from leaflet damage or from changes in the annulus and right ventricular geometry. Its septal attachment lies near AV conduction tissue, an important procedural relation.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the tricuspid valve located?
At the right atrioventricular junction.
What does the tricuspid valve do?
Admits atrial blood during filling and limits systolic backflow into the right atrium.
What are the parts of the tricuspid valve?
Leaflets conventionally grouped as anterior, posterior and septal, with variable subdivisions, chordae and papillary supports.
What is the blood supply of the tricuspid valve?
Coronary branches supply surrounding right ventricular muscle; vessels within the leaflets are variable.