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Aortic sinus

Aortic sinus

Aorta laid open to show the semilunar valves. (Aortic sinus labeled at upper left.)
Latin	sinus aortae
Gray's	subject #138 535
Dorlands/Elsevier	s_12/12738570

An aortic sinus is one of the anatomic dilations of the ascending aorta, which occurs just above the aortic valve.

There are generally three aortic sinuses, the left, the right and the posterior.

The left aortic sinus gives rise to the left coronary artery.
The right aortic sinus gives rise to the right coronary artery.
Usually, no vessels arise from the posterior aortic sinus, which is therefore known as the non-coronary sinus.

Each aortic sinus can also be referred to as the sinus of Valsalva, the sinus of Morgagni, or Petit's sinus.

v • d • e Anatomy of torso, cardiovascular system: heart
Structures	atria (interatrial septum, musculi pectinati) • ventricles (interventricular septum, trabeculae carneae, chordae tendinae, papillary muscle) • valves • cusps
Regions	base • apex • grooves (coronary/atrioventricular, interatrial, anterior interventricula, posterior interventricular) • surfaces (sternocostal, diaphragmatic) • borders (right, left)
Right heart	(vena cavae, coronary sinus) → right atrium (auricle, fossa ovalis, limbus of fossa ovalis, crista terminalis, valve of the inferior vena cava, valve of the coronary sinus) → tricuspid valve → right ventricle (conus arteriosus, moderator band/septomarginal trabecula) → pulmonary valve → (pulmonary artery and pulmonary circulation)
Left heart	(pulmonary veins) → left atrium (auricle) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve (aortic sinus) → (aorta and systemic circulation)
Layers	pericardium: fibrous pericardium • serous pericardium (pericardial cavity, epicardium/visceral layer) • pericardial sinus myocardium • endocardium • cardiac skeleton (fibrous trigone, fibrous rings)
Conduction system	Cardiac pacemaker • SA node • AV node• bundle of His • Purkinje fibers