Volume 59 (2009) Issue: 2009 No#2-3

Myocardial bridges over the ramus intervetricularis anterior and its branches in Cercopithecus aethiops sabeus

Author(s): Nikolić Valentina, Blagojević Z, Stijak I, Radonjić Vidosava, Đorđević Milena, Kovačević Dragana, Filipović B

Keywords:Cercopithecus aethiops sabeus, coronary arteries, myocardial bridging

Myocardial bridges (MBs) are structures consisting of heart muscle fibers running above the subepicardially positioned coronary arteries. In the light of previous studies, MBs are most often associated with the ramus interventricularis anterior (RIA) which put this vessel into the focus of our research. The purpose of the present study was to determine the frequency of occurrence and quantitative analysis of myocardial bridges over the RIA and its lateral branches. The studied material consisted of 55 Cercopithecus aethiops hearts, of both sexes, preserved in formaldehyde solution. Standard anatomical methods were used in the analysis, with the help of a stereomicroscope. The presence of MBs over the RIA was confirmed in a total of 70.9% samples, with no statistically significant differences related to the gender. In 2 hearts (3.6%) multiple bridges were revealed. The length of the bridges varies in the range of 0.5 mm – 31.6 mm, the distance from the origin of RIA varies between 0.5 mm – 25 mm which makes the proximal third of the anterior (paraconal) interventricular groove most frequently tunneled. The lateral branches of RIA were overbridged in 5.4%, with a single muscular band. The lenght of MBs varied from 6.2 mm – 12.5 mm, and they were localized over the first lateral branch in all cases.