Barium-enhanced imaging of the coronary vasculature of the porcine myocardium: empirical investigation into the theory of the ventricular myocardial band.

OBJECTIVE: The ventricular myocardium is thought to exist as a single continuous muscle band that extends from the pulmonary artery to the aorta, wrapped into a double helical coil Torrent-Guasp's theory of the ventricular myocardial band (VMB). The purpose of this study was to examine the coronary blood supply to the VMB and to evaluate the effect of coronary blood systems on structure-function relations in the myocardium.
METHODS: VMBs of nine swine hearts were unwrapped after postmortem barium coronary angiography. Unwrapped VMBs underwent radiography, and vascular images of barium remaining in the VMBs were evaluated.
RESULTS: We were able to achieve a single longitudinal and stretched myocardial band in all nine porcine hearts. The corresponding regions supplied by each coronary artery were clearly distinguishable in the VMBs. The right segment of the basal loop was supplied by the right coronary artery. The left segment of the basal loop was supplied by the left circumflex artery. Most of the descending segment of the apical loop was supplied by the left anterior descending artery, with an inferior portion supplied by the right coronary artery. Most of the ascending segment of the apical loop was supplied by the left anterior descending artery, with a posterior portion supplied by the left circumflex artery.
CONCLUSION: Understanding the trinity of structure, function, and coronary blood supply from the viewpoint of the VMB should facilitate development of more effective surgical treatment for severe ischemic heart disease.