Left ventricle

Changed by Matt A. Morgan, 14 Apr 2015

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The left ventricle is one of four heart chambers. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium and pumps it into the systemic circulation via the aorta.

Gross anatomy

The left ventricle is conical in shape with an anteroinferiorly projecting apex and is longer with thicker walls than the right ventricle. It is separated from the right ventricle by the interventricular septum, which is concave in shape (i.e. bulges into the right ventricle). Internally, there is a smooth inflow and outflow tracks and the remainder of the left ventricle (mainly apical) is lined by fine trabeculae carnae. The ventricular wall is thickest at the base and thins to only 1-2mm at the apex.

Blood flows in via the atrioventricular orifice lined by the mitral valve and flows out passing through the aortic valve into the aorta.

There are two papillary muscles that attach to the mitral valve:

anterior lateral (anterolateral)
posterior medial (posteromedial)

Blood supply

left anterior descending artery ~~- supplies~~: supplies free wall and most of the papillary muscles
left circumflex artery ~~- supplies~~: supplies free wall

Variant anatomy

double-inlet ventricle ~~- in~~: in-flow from both the right and left atria
parachute valve ~~- mitral~~: mitral valve chordae tendinae inserting into a single papillary muscle

Related pathology

~~-<li>left anterior descending artery - supplies free wall and most of the papillary muscles</li>~~
~~-<li>left circumflex artery - supplies free wall</li>~~
+<li>
+<a title="Left anterior descending artery" href="/articles/left-anterior-descending-artery">left anterior descending artery</a>: supplies free wall and most of the papillary muscles</li>
+<li>
+<a title="Left circumflex artery (LCX)" href="/articles/circumflex-artery">left circumflex artery</a>: supplies free wall</li>
~~-<a href="/articles/double-inlet-ventricle">double-inlet ventricle</a> - in-flow from both the right and left atria</li>~~
+<a href="/articles/double-inlet-ventricle">double-inlet ventricle</a>: in-flow from both the right and left atria</li>
~~-<a href="/articles/parachute-valve">parachute valve</a> - mitral valve chordae tendinae inserting into a single papillary muscle</li>~~
+<a href="/articles/parachute-valve">parachute valve</a>: mitral valve chordae tendinae inserting into a single papillary muscle</li>
~~-<li><a href="/articles/non-compaction-of-the-left-ventricle">non compaction of the left ventricle</a></li>~~
+<li><a href="/articles/noncompaction-of-the-left-ventricle">non compaction of the left ventricle</a></li>

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