Heart anatomy

Heart surfaces and borders

• Right border of heart: it is represented by the vena cava superiorly and mainly by the right atrium inferiorly (4, 6)
• Inferior border of heart: The inferior border of the heart, which is nearly horizontal, is primarily formed by the right ventricle. (5)
• Left border of the heart: left heart border describes the visible outline of the heart, including the curves formed by the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk, and left auricle, as well as the border of the left ventricle and the apex of the heart. (4)
• Left surface of heart: This surface is directed towards the left lung. (4, 6)

• Base of heart: It is oriented posteriorly and to the right. The left atrium mainly forms it. (1, 2)
• Sulcus terminalis of the heart: It is a vertical groove that extends along the right atrium from the front of the superior vena cava towards the front of the inferior vena cava. (1)

• Anterior surface of heart: The anterior surface of the heart, also known as the sternocostal surface, is composed of the right atrium and predominantly of the right ventricle. (1, 2)
• Right surface of heart: This surface of the heart is oriented towards the right lung, and it is formed mainly by the right atrium (1,4)
• Anterior interventricular sulcus: It is a groove on the anterior surface of the heart positioned where the two ventricles meet. (1)
• Apex of the heart: It is oriented towards the sternum, downward, and to the left. (1)

• Inferior interventricular sulcus: It is a groove on the heart’s diaphragmatic (inferior) surface positioned where the two ventricles meet each other. (1)
• Coronary sulcus: The groove surrounds the heart and separates the atria from the ventricles. (1)
• Inferior surface of heart: The inferior surface of the heart, also known as the diaphragmatic surface, faces downward. It is composed of the ventricles and lies on the diaphragm. (1, 2)

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, R. H., Spicer, D. E., Hlavacek, A. M., Cook, A. C., & Backer, C. L. (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.

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/