Biomechanical–Structural Correlation of <i>Chordae tendineae</i> in Animal Models: A Pilot Study
Justyn Gach,
Izabela Janus,
Agnieszka Mackiewicz,
Tomasz Klekiel,
Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak
Affiliations
Justyn Gach
Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzki sq. 47, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland
Izabela Janus
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida 31 Street, 50-376 Wrocław, Poland
Agnieszka Mackiewicz
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z Szafrana 4 Street, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
Tomasz Klekiel
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z Szafrana 4 Street, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak
Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzki sq. 47, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland
The mitral valve apparatus is a complex structure consisting of the mitral ring, valve leaflets, papillary muscles and Chordae tendineae (CT). The latter are mainly responsible for the mechanical functions of the valve. Our study included investigations of the biomechanical and structural properties of CT collected from canine and porcine hearts, as there are no studies about these properties of canine CT. We performed a static uniaxial tensile test on CT samples and a histopathological analysis in order to examine their microstructure. The results were analyzed to clarify whether the changes in mechanical persistence of Chordae tendineae are combined with the alterations in their structure. This study offers clinical insight for future research, allowing for an understanding of the process of Chordae tendineae rupture that happens during degenerative mitral valve disease—the most common heart disease in dogs.
