The effects of systole on left ventricular blood flow.

Coronary artery flow is complex. Flow in this system is divided into systolic and diastolic. However, systolic flow should be divided into two phases, isovolumetric and the ejection phase, since these two components are determined by completely different parameters. Flow through the myocardium is affected by the close mechanical coupling between myocytes and capillaries effected by the array of collagen struts and their disposition. This latter provides the anatomic arrangement that makes possible the integrated "massaging" effect postulated by Wiggers (26).