APPLIED RADIOLOGICAL ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Tiny white collagenic cords called the chordae tendineae (literally, heart strings) anchor the cusps to the ventricular walls. The chordae tendineae originate from small bundles of cardiac muscle, papillary muscles, that project from the myocardial wall.

Detailed explanation-2: -The force of ventricular contraction can cause the AV valves to prolapse, or flip back into the atria, and allow blood to backflow into the atria. To prevent this, the cusps of the AV valves are attached to little tendons known as chordae tendinae. These are attached to papillary muscles in the ventricles.

Detailed explanation-3: -The chordae tendinae are thin strands of connective tissue that anchor the leaflets of each AV valve so that they cannot open into the atrium (thus allowing backflow of blood into the atrium).