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Unearthing the Unexpected: First Report of Ossa Cordis in a Human Heart

Mehrnoosh Ghandili1, Mark A Giffen

  • 1Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|January 30, 2025
PubMed

Insights

The ossa cordis (cardiac bone) was incidentally found in a human heart, marking its first documented occurrence in humans. This bony structure, typically seen in large mammals, raises questions about its role in human cardiac anatomy and development.

Area of Science:

  • Anatomy
  • Cardiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • The ossa cordis (OC), or cardiac bone, is a mammalian cardiac skeleton structure.
  • OC is found in large mammals and recently in chimpanzees, but not previously in humans.
  • Its function is thought to maintain heart shape and enhance contraction efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the incidental finding of ossa cordis in a human heart.
  • To describe the characteristics and location of the OC.
  • To discuss the implications for human cardiac anatomy and development.

Main Methods:

  • Postmortem examination of a 39-year-old male heart.
  • Gross examination and measurement of the bony structure.
  • Histological analysis of the bone and surrounding tissue.

Main Results:

  • An incidental 0.8 × 0.6 × 0.4-cm, boomerang-shaped ossa cordis was found.
  • The OC was located in the right atrium, within the triangle of Koch, at the atrioventricular node.
  • Histology confirmed mature bone with trilineage hematopoietic elements.

Conclusions:

  • This is the first reported case of ossa cordis in a human.
  • The finding suggests anatomical similarities between human and other mammalian hearts.
  • Further research is needed to determine if OC in humans is linked to degenerative disorders or normal development/aging.

Keywords:
cardiovascular pathologycartilago cordisectopic boneforensic pathologyossa cordis

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