Significance of force transfer in mitral valve-left ventricular interaction: in vivo assessment.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the combined force transfer from the papillary muscle tips to the mitral valve through the chordae tendineae in vivo, and thereby quantify the force transmitted through the papillary-chordal complex to augment left ventricular ejection.

Methods: In an acute porcine model (n = 8), force transfer between papillary muscles and the mitral valve was recorded on the anterior and posterior papillary muscle tip using dedicated force transducers. Ultrasound sonomicrometry was utilized to record and calculate left ventricular long-axis shortening and mitral annular geometry.