Left circumflex artery
Encyclopedia
The "LCX", or left circumflex artery (or circumflex artery, or circumflex branch of the left coronary artery
) is an artery
of the heart
.
, running first to the left and then to the right, reaching nearly as far as the posterior longitudinal sulcus
.
within the coronary sulcus
, giving rise to one or more diagonal or left marginal arteries (also called obtuse marginal branches (OM)) as it curves toward the posterior surface of the heart. It helps form the posterior left ventricular branch or posterolateral artery. The circumflex artery ends at the point where it joins to form to the posterior interventricular artery in ten percent of all cases, which lies in the posterior interventricular sulcus. In the other 90% of all cases the posterior interventricular artery comes out of the right coronary artery.
and the anterolateral papillary muscle
.
It also supplies the sinoatrial nodal artery in 38% of people.
It supplies 15-25% of the left ventricle
in right-dominant systems. If the coronary anatomy is left-dominant, the LCX supplies 40-50% of the left ventricle. (See Coronary circulation for description of dominance.)
Left coronary artery
The left coronary artery, abbreviated LCA and also known as the left main coronary artery , arises from the aorta above the left cusp of the aortic valve.-Branching:...
) is an artery
Artery
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....
of the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
.
Course
It follows the left part of the coronary sulcusCoronary sulcus
The atria of the heart are separated from the ventricles by the coronary sulcus ; this contains the trunks of the nutrient vessels of the heart, and is deficient in front, where it is crossed by the root of the pulmonary artery.-External links:*...
, running first to the left and then to the right, reaching nearly as far as the posterior longitudinal sulcus
Posterior longitudinal sulcus
The ventricles are separated by two grooves, one of which, the anterior longitudinal sulcus, is situated on the sternocostal surface of the heart, close to its left margin...
.
Branches
The circumflex artery curves to the left around the heartHeart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
within the coronary sulcus
Coronary sulcus
The atria of the heart are separated from the ventricles by the coronary sulcus ; this contains the trunks of the nutrient vessels of the heart, and is deficient in front, where it is crossed by the root of the pulmonary artery.-External links:*...
, giving rise to one or more diagonal or left marginal arteries (also called obtuse marginal branches (OM)) as it curves toward the posterior surface of the heart. It helps form the posterior left ventricular branch or posterolateral artery. The circumflex artery ends at the point where it joins to form to the posterior interventricular artery in ten percent of all cases, which lies in the posterior interventricular sulcus. In the other 90% of all cases the posterior interventricular artery comes out of the right coronary artery.
Structures supplied
The LCX supplies the posterolateral left ventricleLeft ventricle
The left ventricle is one of four chambers in the human heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium via the mitral valve, and pumps it into the aorta via the aortic valve.-Shape:...
and the anterolateral papillary muscle
Papillary muscle
In anatomy, the papillary muscles are muscles located in the ventricles of the heart. They attach to the cusps of the atrioventricular valves via the chordae tendinae and contract to prevent inversion or prolapse of these valves.- Action :There are five total papillary muscles in the heart, three...
.
It also supplies the sinoatrial nodal artery in 38% of people.
It supplies 15-25% of the left ventricle
Left ventricle
The left ventricle is one of four chambers in the human heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium via the mitral valve, and pumps it into the aorta via the aortic valve.-Shape:...
in right-dominant systems. If the coronary anatomy is left-dominant, the LCX supplies 40-50% of the left ventricle. (See Coronary circulation for description of dominance.)
