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Chordae tendineae (left heart, anatomy)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The chordae tendineae of the left heart can be classified into the following groups:

  • commissural chordae:
    • two main groups, anterolateral and posteromedial
    • emerge from ends of papillary muscles and divide almost immediately into multiple fibres
    • insert into free margin of valve around the area of the commissures
  • leaflet chordae:
    • rough zone chordae:
      • similar in origin and insertion to those of the tricuspid valve complex
      • unique to the mitral valve are 'strut chordae' from the anterolateral and posteromedial papillary muscles; they are particularly thick rough zone chordae which insert only into the anterior leaflet
    • cleft chordae: fine chordae which insert into the free margin of a leaflet where it is partially divided by minor clefts
  • basal chordae:
    • only associated with posterior leaflet
    • insert close to the junction of the leaflet with the fibrous annulus

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