Detailed anatomical and functional features of the cardiac valves

The use of high-resolution noninvasive imaging in modern cardiac clinics to collect detailed images of valve function has dramatically accelerated the understanding of functional human heart anatomy. In the healthy human, the cardiac valves determine the passage of blood through the heart. The atrioventricular valves open during diastole to allow the filling of the ventricles and close during systole (ventricular contraction), directing blood through the semilunar valves to the body; these valves, in turn, close during diastole to prevent the flow of blood back into the ventricle. By presenting a comprehensive review of the histology, functional anatomy, and morphology of the cardiac valves, this chapter promotes an understanding of the valve features that is required for valvar repair or replacement via either surgical or minimally invasive (transcatheter) means.