Applied anatomy of percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect

Objective: To provide anatomical basis for percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect.Methods: 50 adult heart specimens (29 male and 21 female) were dissected and measured.Results: The oval fossa was 20.9±5.4 mm long and 14.3±3.7 mm wide.It was 19.7±4.1 mm from the central point of oval fossa to the central point of coronary sinusal ostium, 22.6±3.8 mm to the membranous atrial septum, 25.1±4.2 mm to the middle point of septal tricuspid valve, 24.7±4.2 mm to the central point of the bottom of aortic eminence, 19.9±4.4 mm to the middle point of anterior biscuspid valve.The thickness of the edge of oval fossa was 4.7±0.7 mm at twelve o'clock point, 3.2 ± 0.7 mm at three o′clock point, 2.3±0.5 mm at six o′clock point and 3.3±0.7 mm at nine o′clock point.The distance between the atrial septum and the entrance pionts of right superior and inferior pulmonary veins were 8.2±2.2 mm and 12.4±3.8 mm respectively.Conclusions: It is suggested that the suitable thickness of the apparatus to close the atrial septal defect is about 5mm, and its elasticity must meet the changes of the thickness of atrial septum.