Complete Mitral Valve in a Transverse Cut of the Heart

Description

Arising at the left atrioventricular junction, the mitral (valva atrioventricularis sinistra, valva mitralis) appears in transverse section with its anterior and posterior leaflets spanning the orifice between the left atrium and left ventricle. The mural (posterior) leaflet sits more posteriorly and laterally along the annulus, while the anterior leaflet lies more anteriorly and medially, forming the aortic-mitral continuity toward the left ventricular outflow tract. Chordae tendineae course inferiorly from the leaflet free margins to the anterolateral and posteromedial papillary muscles within the left ventricle. Leaflet coaptation occurs centrally. A transverse cut offers the clearest perspective on the mitral orifice geometry, where annular dilation and asymmetric leaflet tethering translate directly into regurgitant jets. That matters in degenerative mitral valve prolapse, where redundant posterior leaflet segments can billow into the left atrium, and in ischemic functional mitral regurgitation, where posteromedial papillary muscle displacement after inferior myocardial infarction pulls the posterior leaflet apically. Surgeons and echocardiographers also track the relationship of the anterior leaflet to the left ventricular outflow tract, a key factor in systolic anterior motion after repair or in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Use this artwork in cardiothoracic anatomy teaching to anchor leaflet orientation, papillary muscle naming, and the concept of coaptation in a single plane. It also fits valve disease chapters, echo correlation figures (short-axis and transgastric planes), and operative technique discussions of annuloplasty and leaflet resection. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.