Tricuspid and Pulmonary Valve

The tricuspid valve has three leaflets, the anterior, the septal and the posterior (Fig. 5.1). The anterior leaflet is the largest of the three. As with all cardiac valves there is a free edge and a line of closure, located on the atrial side of the tricuspid valve. There are three commissures separating each leaflet. Each leaflet has chordae tendonae attached to ventricular papillary muscles, which can vary in number. One of the defining characteristics of a tricuspid valve is that the septal leaflet chordae attach directly to the underlying, adjacent ventricular septum.