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. 1993 Mar;69(3):246–249. doi: 10.1136/hrt.69.3.246

Ultrastructural quantification of collagen in human chordae tendineae.

B K Berkovitz 1, C Rollinson 1
PMCID: PMC1024989  PMID: 8461224

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To determine collagen fibril diameter distributions in the chordae tendineae and to see whether there are any differences between right and left sides of the human heart. DESIGN--Collagen fibril diameters and the percentage volume occupied by collagen fibrils (as opposed to ground substance) were determined by means of a planimeter with a digitising tablet from electron micrographs printed at a magnification of 136; 000. MATERIAL--Human chordae tendineae were obtained at postmortem examination from seven subjects aged 50-75 years. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Histograms of collagen fibril diameter distributions showed a sharp, unimodal distribution. The mean collagen fibril diameters associated with the tricuspid and mitral valves were 41.1 nm and 40.5 nm respectively. The percentage volume occupied by collagen was about 39% for each valve. There were no significant differences for any of these values between the right and left sides of the heart. CONCLUSIONS--The greater pressures present on the left side of the heart are not reflected in any difference in collagen fibril diameters within the chordae tendineae compared with the right side.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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