3D CONTENT
3D HEART ANATOMY

HEART SURFACES AND BORDERS

Author: Dr. Bogdan Leahu
Heart borders 360-degree interactive viewer showing right border formed by superior vena cava and right atrium, used for assessing right atrial enlargement
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Heart Borders - Right Border, Preview from the app.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BORDERS OF THE HEART

Right Border

  • Formed by two structures
    • Superior vena cava superiorly
    • Right atrium inferiorly
  • Faces the right lung
  • Used in radiography to assess right atrial enlargement

Inferior Border

  • Nearly horizontal in orientation
  • Primarily formed by the right ventricle
  • Rests on the diaphragm
  • Separates anterior surface from diaphragmatic surface

Left Border

  • Outlines the left side of the heart
  • Formed by multiple structures:
    • Aortic arch
    • Pulmonary trunk
    • Left auricle
    • Left ventricle extending to apex
  • Faces the left lung
  • Important for evaluating left ventricular size and shape

SURFACES OF THE HEART

Heart surfaces 360-degree viewer showing anterior sternocostal surface with right ventricle, left ventricle, and atrial contributions
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Heart Surfaces - Anterior Surface, Preview from the app.

Anterior Surface

  • Also called sternocostal surface
  • Faces anteriorly toward sternum and ribs
  • Composed of:
    • Right atrium
    • Right ventricle (major contribution)
    • Left ventricle (small contribution)

Left Surface

  • Also called pulmonary surface
  • Directed toward the left lung
  • Mainly formed by left ventricle
  • Partly formed by left atrium

Right Surface

  • Faces the right lung
  • Formed mainly by right atrium
  • Extends between superior and inferior vena cava
  • Relevant in right-sided cardiac conditions

Inferior Surface

  • Also called diaphragmatic surface
  • Faces downward
  • Rests on the diaphragm
  • Composed of:
    • Left ventricle (major contribution)
    • Right ventricle (partial contribution)
  • Clinically significant in inferior wall myocardial infarctions

BASE OF THE HEART

  • Posterior aspect of the heart
  • Oriented posteriorly and to the right
  • Mainly formed by left atrium
  • Receives pulmonary veins carrying oxygenated blood

APEX OF THE HEART

  • Tip of the left ventricle
  • Orientation:
    • Anteriorly
    • Downward
    • To the left
  • Located in fifth intercostal space at midclavicular line
  • Important landmark for cardiac auscultation
  • Site for listening to mitral valve sounds

SULCI OF THE HEART

Heart sulci 360-degree viewer showing coronary sulcus, anterior and inferior interventricular sulci with coronary arteries and cardiac veins
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Heart Sulci - Interventricular Sulcus, Preview from the app.

Coronary Sulcus

  • Also called atrioventricular groove
  • Encircles the heart
  • Demarcates atria from ventricles
  • Contains important cardiac vessels

Sulcus Terminalis

  • Groove on right atrium
  • Runs vertically along right atrium
  • Extends from anterior aspect of superior vena cava
  • Continues to anterior aspect of inferior vena cava
  • Internal correspondence is crista terminalis
  • Marks important junction in right atrial wall

Anterior Interventricular Sulcus

  • Groove on anterior surface
  • Marks junction between right and left ventricles
  • Contains:
    • Anterior interventricular artery (left anterior descending)
    • Great cardiac vein

Inferior Interventricular Sulcus

  • Groove on diaphragmatic surface
  • Marks junction between ventricles on inferior surface
  • Contains:
    • Posterior interventricular artery — usually branch of right coronary artery
    • Middle cardiac vein

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Drake RL, Vogl AW, Mitchell AWM. Gray's Anatomy for Students. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020. Chapter 3: Thorax.

2. Standring S, editor. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 42nd ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier; 2021. p. 996-1046.

3. Moore KL, Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2018. p. 127-162.

QUICK FACTS: HEART SURFACES AND BORDERS

Key questions answered about this anatomy topic

Which structures form the right border of the heart?

Answer: Superior vena cava and right atrium. The right border of the heart is formed by the superior vena cava superiorly and the right atrium inferiorly. This border faces the right lung and is used in radiography to assess right atrial enlargement.

Which chamber makes the major contribution to the anterior (sternocostal) surface of the heart?

Answer: Right ventricle. The anterior (sternocostal) surface of the heart is primarily formed by the right ventricle, with smaller contributions from the right atrium and left ventricle.

What is another name for the inferior surface of the heart?

Answer: Diaphragmatic surface. The inferior surface of the heart is also called the diaphragmatic surface because it rests on the diaphragm. This surface is clinically significant in inferior wall myocardial infarctions.

Which chamber mainly forms the base of the heart?

Answer: Left atrium. The base of the heart is the posterior aspect, mainly formed by the left atrium. It receives the pulmonary veins carrying oxygenated blood from the lungs.

At what location is the apex of the heart typically found?

Answer: Fifth intercostal space, midclavicular line. The apex of the heart is located in the fifth intercostal space at the midclavicular line. This is an important landmark for cardiac auscultation and is the site for listening to mitral valve sounds.

Want to test yourself? Try the interactive quiz above!

⋮⋮ Heart Surfaces and Borders Quiz
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