Chronic Mitral Valve Leaflet Growth Following Myocardial Infarction

One of the primary failure modes of the mitral valve is mitral regurgitation (MR). MR often follows myocardial infarction, in which case it is referred to as ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). IMR is a result of alterations to the annular and subvalvular apparatus secondary to left ventricular remodeling [1]. Recent studies showed that the mitral valve can adapt to IMR by increasing leaflet size to reduce the degree of regurgitation. Understanding the exact biomechanical and biochemical mechanisms behind mitral valve adaptation may open new treatment strategies for patients with mitral regurgitation [2]. In this study [3], we investigated the phenomenon of mitral valve leaflet “growth” in an ovine model to define the mechanisms that drive the “growth” process. We further quantified regional and directional variations in “growth” across the anterior mitral valve leaflet (AMVL).