3D CONTENT
3D HEART ANATOMY

RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY

Author: Dr. Bogdan Leahu

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Right coronary artery anatomy 360-degree interactive viewer showing RCA course along atrioventricular groove
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY

What is the right coronary artery?

  • One of two main arterial branches from your aorta
  • Originates from right aortic sinus
  • Courses along atrioventricular groove
  • Generally supplies the right side of your heart

What are the branches of the right coronary artery?

  • Branches:
    • Conal branch
    • Sinu-atrial nodal branch
    • Atrial branches
    • Anterior ventricular branches
    • Right marginal branch
    • Inferior interventricular artery
    • Atrioventricular nodal branch

BRANCHES OF RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY

Branches of right coronary artery showing conal branch, SA nodal branch, atrial branches, anterior ventricular branches, and right marginal branch
Branches of Right Coronary Artery, Preview from the app. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Sourced from 3D HEART ANATOMY.

Conal Branch

What is the conal branch?

  • Also called conus arteriosus artery
  • Runs toward conus arteriosus
  • Supplies your right ventricular outflow tract

Sinu-atrial Nodal Branch

What is the sinu-atrial nodal branch?

  • Supplies sinoatrial node
  • The SA node is your heart's natural pacemaker
  • Encircles superior vena cava
  • May course clockwise or counterclockwise
  • Reaches sinoatrial node

Atrial Branches

What are the atrial branches?

  • Supply your right atrium
  • Typically responsible for right atrial perfusion

Anterior Ventricular Branches

What are the anterior ventricular branches?

  • Supply your right ventricle
  • Perfuse the anterior portion of your right ventricle

Right Marginal Branch

What is the right marginal branch?

  • Significant branch of right coronary artery
  • Follows the margin of your heart
  • Supplies your outer right ventricular wall

INFERIOR INTERVENTRICULAR ARTERY

Inferior interventricular artery (posterior descending artery) running along inferior interventricular groove with septal branches
Inferior Interventricular Artery, Preview from the app. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Sourced from 3D HEART ANATOMY.

What is the inferior interventricular artery?

  • Also known as posterior descending artery
  • Runs along inferior interventricular groove
  • Gives off septal branches

Septal Branches

What are the septal branches?

  • Originate from inferior interventricular artery
  • Supply your interventricular septum

ATRIOVENTRICULAR NODAL BRANCH

Atrioventricular nodal branch arising from right coronary artery to supply AV node of cardiac conduction system
Atrioventricular Nodal Branch, Preview from the app. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Sourced from 3D HEART ANATOMY.

What is the atrioventricular nodal branch?

  • Usually arises from right coronary artery
  • Supplies AV node
  • The AV node is a key component of your cardiac conduction system

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Gray H, Lewis W. Angiology. In: Anatomy of the Human Body. 1918. p. 526–542.

2. Gosling JA, Harris PF, Humpherson JR, Whitmore I, Willan PLT. Human anatomy: color atlas and textbook. 6th ed. 2017. 45–58 p.

3. Anderson RH, Spicer DE, Hlavacek AM, Cook AC, Backer CL. (2013). Anatomy of the cardiac chambers. In Wilcox’s Surgical Anatomy of the Heart (4th ed., pp. 13–50). Cambridge University Press.

4. Fritsch H, Kuehnel W. Color Atlas of Human Anatomy. Vol. Volume 2, Color Atlas and Textbook of Human Anatomy. 2005. 10–42 p.

5. Moore K, Dalley A, Agur A. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Vol. 7ed, Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 2014. 132–151 p.

6. Ho SYen. Anatomy for Cardiac Electrophysiologists: A Practical Handbook. Cardiotext Pub; 2012. 5–27 p.

7. The structure and organization of anatomical terms used in this text follow the guidelines provided by FIPAT (2019) in their publication: FIPAT. (2019). Terminologia Anatomica (2nd ed.). FIPAT.library.dal.ca. Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://fipat.library.dal.ca/TA2/