Anatomical Structures of the Aortic Root in Koreans / 대한흉부외과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It is very important to determine the surgical anatomy of the aortic root when performing spreading aortic root preserving heart surgery. This study focuses on the surgical aspect of the aortic root anatomy by performing dissection of Korean cadavers. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The subjects were 62 cadavers. We measured the intercommissural distances, heights of the sinuses and the circumference of the sinotubular junction and the aortic annulus. RESULT: The mean age of death was 61.3 years. The intercommissural distance for the right coronary sinus was 0.73+/-2.23 mm, that for the non coronary sinus was 19.34+/-2.03 mm, and that for the left coronary sinus was 18.58+/-2.15 mm. The height of sinus was 20.59+/-2.48 mm for the right coronary sinus, 18.61+/-2.26 mm for the non coronary sinus and 17.95+/-19 mm for the left coronary sinus. The circumference of the sinotubular junction was 70.73+/-5.94 mm and that of the aortic annulus was 77.94+/-5.63 mm. There is no correlation between age and STJ, aortic annulus and the ratio of STJ of aortic annulus respectively (p=0.920, p=0.111, p=0.073). The tilting angle of the sinotubular junction and aortic annulus is from 2.03 degrees to 7.77 degrees (mean=4.90 degrees). CONCLUSION: The intercommissural distance and the height of the sinus were largest in the right coronary sinus, and the position of the sinotubular junction to the aortic annulus is obliquely tilted levo-posteriorly.