Left ventricular false tendons: Anatomic, echocardiographic, and pathophysiologic insights

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Abstract

Left ventricular (LV) false tendons are chordlike structures that traverse the LV cavity. They attach to the septum, to the papillary muscles, or to the free wall of the ventricle but not to the mitral valve. They are found in approximately half of human hearts examined at autopsy. Although it has been more than 100 years since their initial description, the functional significance of these structures remains largely unexplored. It has been suggested that they retard LV remodeling by tethering the walls to which they are attached, but there are few data to substantiate this. Some studies have suggested that false tendons reduce the severity of functional mitral regurgitation by stabilizing the position of the papillary muscles as the left ventricle enlarges. LV false tendons may also have deleterious effects and have been implicated in promoting membrane formation in discrete subaortic stenosis. This article reviews current understanding of the anatomy, echocardiographic characteristics, and pathophysiology of these structures.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)582-588
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of the American Society of Echocardiography
Volume26
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2013

Keywords

  • Discrete subaortic stenosis
  • Echocardiography
  • Functional mitral regurgitation
  • Ischemic mitral regurgitation
  • Left ventricular false tendons
  • Left ventricular remodeling
  • Myocardial infarction

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