The structures that connect valve leaflets to the papillary muscles are called which?

• A. Chordae tendineae (heart strings)
• B. Papillary muscles
• C. Interventricular septum
• D. Myocardial fibers

Answer: (A)

Chordae tendineae connect the leaflets of the atrioventricular valves (mitral and tricuspid) to the papillary muscles inside the ventricles. These tendinous cords, often called heart strings, keep the leaflets from swinging back into the atria when the ventricle contracts. By transmitting tension from the contracting papillary muscles to the valve leaflets, they help the valve stay closed and prevent regurgitation.

The other structures aren’t the tether between leaflets and papillary muscles. Papillary muscles are the muscular anchors on the ventricular wall that pull on the chordae; the interventricular septum is the wall separating the ventricles; and myocardial fibers are general muscle tissue of the heart, not the connectors between leaflets and papillary muscles.