Chordae tendineae (right heart, anatomy)

The chordae tendineae of the right heart have been classified into the following groups:

• fan-shaped: single chordae stem diverges directly from the papillary muscle to form a number of fine chordae which attach to the edges of the commisures between the leaflets
• rough zone: the main stem of the chordae divides into three from the papillary muscle to insert into:
  • the edge of the free margin of the leaflet
  • the inner limit of the roughened suface on the ventricular side of a given leaflet
  • a point between the preceeding attachments
• free edge: single chordae arising from either end of a papillary muscle and inserting roughly into the mid-point of a given leaflet
• deep:
  • do not diverge until very close to the valve leaflet
  • insert into rough zone or area slighly nearer the annulus on the ventricular surface of each leaflet - the clear zone
• basal:
  • extremely variable shape
  • insert into the basal part of the ventricular surface of the leaflet