3D CONTENT
3D HEART ANATOMY

FIBROUS SKELETON OF HEART

Author: Dr. Bogdan Leahu
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Fibrous skeleton of heart anatomy 360-degree interactive viewer showing fibrous rings, trigones, central fibrous body, and valve attachments
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FIBROUS SKELETON OF HEART

  • Connective tissue structure
  • Provides attachment to heart valves and myocardium
  • Connected to heart muscle analogous to tendon attachment to skeletal muscle
  • Supports atrioventricular valves:
    • Ring-shaped configuration
  • Supports aortic valve:
    • Crown-shaped annulus

Components

  • Right fibrous ring
  • Left fibrous ring
  • Right fibrous trigone
  • Left fibrous trigone
  • Central fibrous body

FIBROUS RINGS

Fibrous rings of the heart showing right and left fibrous rings surrounding atrioventricular valve orifices
Fibrous Rings - Sourced from the app 3D HEART ANATOMY

Right Fibrous Ring

  • Part of fibrous cardiac skeleton
  • Thickened area of connective tissue
  • Surrounds tricuspid valve orifice
  • Provides attachment for:
    • Valve flaps
    • Muscle fibres of ventricles
    • Muscle fibres of atria

Left Fibrous Ring

  • Similar structure to right fibrous ring
  • Surrounds bicuspid (mitral) valve orifice
  • Thickened area of connective tissue
  • Provides attachment for:
    • Valve flaps
    • Muscle fibres of ventricles
    • Muscle fibres of atria

FIBROUS TRIGONES

Fibrous trigones of the heart showing right and left fibrous trigones between aortic and atrioventricular valves
Fibrous Trigones - Sourced from the app 3D HEART ANATOMY

Right Fibrous Trigone

  • Triangular formation
  • Located between aortic valve and medial parts of:
    • Tricuspid valve
    • Mitral valve
  • Major component of central fibrous body

Left Fibrous Trigone

  • Thick part of fibrous cardiac skeleton
  • Located where aortic and mitral valves meet
  • Thick connective tissue at left end
  • Where left fibrous ring meets aortic valve

CENTRAL FIBROUS BODY OF HEART

Central fibrous body of the heart showing the strongest portion of cardiac skeleton surrounded by valve rings
Central Fibrous Body - Sourced from the app 3D HEART ANATOMY
  • Largest thickening of cardiac skeleton
  • Strongest portion of cardiac skeleton
  • Occupies central position
  • Surrounded by valve rings
  • Electrically inert tissue

Functions

  • Isolates atria from ventricles electrically
  • Exception at site of AV conducting system penetration

INFERIOR PYRAMIDAL SPACE

Inferior pyramidal space of the heart showing convergence of grooves and surrounding coronary vessels
Inferior Pyramidal Space - Sourced from the app 3D HEART ANATOMY
  • Anatomical region of the heart
  • Location where grooves converge:
    • Interatrial groove
    • Interventricular groove
    • Right atrioventricular groove
    • Left atrioventricular groove
  • Wedges toward central fibrous body

Surrounding Structures

  • Coronary arteries
  • Coronary sinus
  • Atrioventricular valve attachments
  • Interatrial septum
  • Interventricular septum
  • Coronary aortic sinuses
  • Cardiac conduction system

Tendon of Inferior Pyramidal Space

  • Also called Tendon of Todaro
  • Fibrous band within right atrium
  • Serves as anatomical landmark
  • Defines boundaries of important structures and regions

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Drake RL, Vogl AW, Mitchell AWM. Gray's Anatomy for Students. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020. Chapter 3: Thorax.

2. Standring S, editor. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 42nd ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier; 2021. p. 996-1046.

3. Moore KL, Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2018. p. 127-162.

QUICK FACTS: FIBROUS SKELETON OF HEART

Key questions answered about this anatomy topic

Q: What is the primary function of the fibrous skeleton of the heart?

Answer: Attachment for heart valves and myocardium. The fibrous skeleton provides attachment for heart valves and myocardium, similar to how tendons attach skeletal muscle to bone.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a component of the fibrous skeleton of the heart?

Answer: Papillary muscles. Papillary muscles are muscular structures in the ventricles, not components of the fibrous skeleton. The fibrous skeleton includes the fibrous rings, trigones, and central fibrous body.

Q: What valve orifice does the right fibrous ring surround?

Answer: Tricuspid valve orifice. The right fibrous ring surrounds the tricuspid valve orifice, providing attachment for valve flaps and muscle fibres of both atria and ventricles.

Q: Which valve orifice is surrounded by the left fibrous ring?

Answer: Bicuspid (mitral) valve orifice. The left fibrous ring surrounds the bicuspid (mitral) valve orifice. It has a similar structure to the right fibrous ring.

Q: Where is the right fibrous trigone located?

Answer: Between aortic valve and medial parts of tricuspid and mitral valves. The right fibrous trigone has a triangular formation and is located between the aortic valve and medial parts of the tricuspid and mitral valves. It is a major component of the central fibrous body.

Want to test yourself? Try the interactive quiz above!

⋮⋮ Fibrous Skeleton Quiz
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