Background and aim of the study: The study aim was to determine the effect of mitral saddle annulus and leaflet length on peak leaflet stress and transmitral flow pattern when utilizing a novel bileaflet bioprosthetic valve. Methods: A novel valve, which closely mimics the saddle annulus motion of the mitral valve was developed. A series of computational analyses and in-vitro hemodynamic studie...

Aortic valve reconstruction using leaflet grafts made from autologous pericardium is an effective surgical treatment for some forms of aortic regurgitation. Despite favorable outcomes in the hands of skilled surgeons, the procedure is underutilized because of the difficulty of sizing grafts to effectively seal with the native leaflets. Difficulty is largely due to the complex geometry and funct...

Anterior mitral leaflet stiffness during isovolumic contraction (IVC) is much greater than that during isovolumic relaxation (IVR). We have hypothesized that this stiffening is due to transient early systolic force development in the slip of cardiac myocytes in the annular third of the anterior leaflet. Because the atrium is excited before IVC and leaflet myocytes contract for < or = 250 ms, th...

Chordae tendineae from 50 normal mitral valves were studied. Four main types can be distinguished by their mode of insertion. Commissural chordae insert into and define the commissures between the anterior and posterior leaflets. Rough zone chordae insert into the ventricular aspect of the distal rough portion of the anterior and posterior leaflets. Such rough zone chordae typically split into ...

With the mitral valve (MV) leaflet bases arising from the mitral annulus (MA) and the leaflet body and tips connected via the chordae and papillary muscles (PM) to the left ventricular (LV) wall, the anterior and posterior MV leaflets are hoisted like sails. The precise systolic spatial and temporal three-dimensional (3D) interplay of all these structures ensures optimal MV leaflet coaptation w...

An approximate numerical^graphical solution was made for the motion of a human aortic valve leaflet in a meridional plane through the center of the sinus of Vabalva. The observed buckling, whipping action of the leaflet was obtained. Of primary significance in the results was the location and the determination of the maximum curvature of the leaflet in this plane, since this point corresponds t...

Aortic valve regurgitation caused by a leaflet perforation occurs most often with infective endocarditis involving the aortic valve. Although rare, leaflet perforation can be caused by suture-related injury during cardiac operations, such as mitral valve replacement, ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair, and repair of an ostium primum atrial septal defect. Few reports have described this form...

A n 86-year-old man presented with recurrent heart failure and severe mitral regurgitation in the setting of previous surgical mitral repair for degenerative valve disease. Surgery had consisted of placement of a 32-mm CarpentierEdwards Physio II annuloplasty ring (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California). Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a large anterior leaflet (Figure 1A, arrow...

BACKGROUND Meningiomas of the velum interpositum in the roof of the third ventricle are rare. Knowing from which leaflet the meningioma originates and thus its relationships with the internal cerebral and Galen veins, may help in choosing the surgical approach. CASE DESCRIPTION We report the case of a 40-year-old male with a meningioma arising from the superior leaflet of the velum interposit...

This leaflet provides a practical overview for producers and others involved in wheat production and storage, on what can be done at these steps to improve the quality and safety of organically produced wheat, in addition to certification and general food safety requirements. A separate leaflet covers the milling and baking steps, and other leaflets cover other commodities and separate leaflets...