Aortic valve

Aortic valve anatomy

The aortic valve is one of the four lobes of the heart and is located between the main artery (aorta) and the left ventricle.
The aortic valve is a pocket valve and usually consists of a total of 3 pocket valves:

• Valvula semilunaris dextra, a right crescent-shaped
• Valvula semilunaris dextra, a left one
• Valvula semilunaris septalis, a posterior one

is called.
Sometimes there are only two pocket flaps. The pockets have an indentation that fill with blood when the aortic valve is closed.
They also all have a small knot of fibers that meet when the valve closes. The right and left coronary arteries arise above the aortic valve.

The valve is formed in the fetus in the 5th to 7th week of embryonic development.

Illustration of the aortic valve

1. Aortic valve -
   Valva aortae
2. Mitral valve - Valva mitralis
3. Tricuspid valve -
   Tricuspid valva
4. Pulmonary valve -
   Valva trunci pulmonalis
5. Right atrial -
   Atrium dextrum
6. Right ventricle -
   Ventriculus dexter
7. Left atrium - Atrium sinistrum
8. Left ventricle -
   Ventriculus sinister
9. Papillary muscle - M. papillaris
10. Superior vena cava -
    Superior vena cava
11. Aortic arch - Arcus aortae
12. Pulmonary artery trunk -
    Pulmonary trunk
    2 + 3 sail flaps
    = Atrial clamp valves
    = Atrioventricular valves
    = AV valves
    1 + 4 pocket flaps

You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations

Function of the aortic valve

The Aortic valve serves the heart as outlet valve and prevents the blood from flowing back into the left ventricle aorta.

If that heart in the Heart action contracts, will blood pumped from the left main chamber by pressure into the main artery (aorta) and thus reaches the Body circulation, the Aortic valve to open.
Then the heart has to relax again in order to fill with blood again, if the aortic valve did not exist, the pumped blood would flow back. This is why the aortic valve closes during this phase, preventing reflux. The closure of the valve can be seen as a so-called when listening to the patient second Heart sound Listen.

Aortic valve diseases

Aortic regurgitation
If the end of the Aortic valve no longer works one speaks of a Aortic regurgitationSo the blood flows back into the heart.

Aortic stenosis
The opposite of that is that Aortic stenosis, the aortic valve opens too little and it is difficult for the blood to flow from the heart into the circulatory system.

Both diseases lead to an overload of the heart and, in the further course, to Heart failure, as more force has to be used to achieve the same discharge as with a healthy valve.

Please also read our articles on this Aortic regurgitation, Aortic stenosis and Valvular heart disease