Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Aortic valve cusp vessel density: relationship with tissue thickness.

K L Weind1, C G Ellis, D R Boughner

  • 1Heart Valve Laboratory, The John P. Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|February 6, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Aortic valve cusps have microvessels to supply oxygen, with thicker basal regions (over 0.5 mm) containing a vascular bed. Tissue-engineered valves should not exceed 0.40 mm to ensure adequate oxygen diffusion.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Acceptability of high-resolution anoscopy for anal cancer screening in HIV-infected patients.

HIV medicine·2018
Same author

Role of erythrocyte-released ATP in the regulation of microvascular oxygen supply in skeletal muscle.

Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)·2015
Same author

Mass Transfer in a Rigid Tube With Pulsatile Flow and Constant Wall Concentration.

Journal of fluids engineering·2011
Same author

Influence of tissue metabolism and capillary oxygen supply on arteriolar oxygen transport: a computational model.

Mathematical biosciences·2011
Same author

Optimizing the tensile properties of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel for the construction of a bioprosthetic heart valve stent.

Journal of biomedical materials research·2002
Same author

A precise radiographic technique for the measurement of dimensional changes in heart valve biomaterials following fixation.

Journal of biomechanics·2002

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Aortic valve cusps require oxygen exceeding diffusion limits, necessitating internal microvasculature.
  • Understanding the relationship between microvessel presence and tissue thickness is crucial for tissue-engineered valve design.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between microvessel presence and tissue thickness in normal aortic valve cusps.
  • To inform the development of functional tissue-engineered heart valves.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty porcine aortic valve cusps were analyzed after microvessels were filled with carbon particles.
  • Stereographic analysis quantified vessel density, while radiographic techniques determined cusp thickness.
  • Histologic cross-sections assessed vessel depth from the cusp surface.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Cusp basal regions were significantly thicker (0.69–0.86 mm) than other areas (0.36–0.48 mm).
  • A vascular bed was generally present in cusps exceeding 0.5 mm in thickness, with a median density of 5.16 vessels/mm³.

Conclusions:

  • The capillary bed in aortic valve cusps prevents central tissue anoxia, as diffusion alone is insufficient (max ~0.2 mm).
  • Tissue-engineered aortic valves should be limited to approximately 0.40 mm thickness for metabolic viability.