Population-Averaged Geometric Model of Mitral Valve From Patient-Specific Imaging Data¹

The mitral valve (MV) is one of the atrioventricular heart valves and regulates the blood flow between the left atrium and ventricle during the cardiac cycle. Its anatomical structure is comprised of anterior and posterior leaflets, chordae tendineae, and papillary muscles. The main function of the MV is to prevent blood flow regurgitation back into the left atrium during systole. Abnormalities in geometry of MV can lead to mitral insufficiency disorder, which requires either valve replacement or surgical repair to restore proper MV coaptation. Annually, over 40,000 patients in the U.S. alone are treated for MV disorders [1]. In the past two decades, the emphasis in MV treatment has been shifting from replacement toward repair due to lower morbidity and mortality of the latter approach [2]. However, the natural anatomical variability of human MV geometry precludes the use of single or simplified geometries for the simulation...