Heart valve tricuspid valve has anterior, posterior, and septal cusps; and the mitral valve has just anterior and posterior cusps. The valves of the human heart can be grouped in two sets: 1- Two Atrioventricular (AV) valves to prevent backflow of blood from the ventricles into the atria a) Tricuspid valve, located between the right atrium and right ventricle. b) Bicuspid or mitral valve, located between the left atrium and left ventricle. 2- Two Semilunar valves to prevent the backflow of blood into the ventricle a) Pulmonary semilunar valve, located at the opening between the right ventricle and the pulmonary trunk. b)
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction atrio-ventricular valves open (mitral valve at left side and tricuspid valve at right side) and the blood passes from the atria into the ventricles. First, ventricles are filled by a pressure gradient but near the end, atria contract (atrial kick) and force more blood to pass into ventricles. Atrial contraction is responsible for around 20% of the total filling blood volume. (In atrial fibrillation, this additional 20% filling volume is lost and the patient may experience systolic heart failure symptoms). Complete left ventricular filling is essential to maintain maximum cardiac output. Left ventricular filling is dependent upon ventricular relaxation and