Skip to content
EasyAnatomyLab
Menu

Anterior papillary muscle of ventricle: anatomy, location and function

The anterior papillary muscle is the largest papillary muscle of the right ventricle. It tightens the chordae tendineae during ventricular contraction to prevent the tricuspid valve from inverting into the atrium.

Loading 3D model…
Skin0%
Muscles100%

Structures

Loading… Click the model or search.

Highlighted in the model: Anterior papillary muscle of ventricle. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Anterior papillary muscle of ventricle at a glance

What it is
The anterior papillary muscle is the largest papillary muscle of the right ventricle.
Location
It projects from the anterior wall of the right ventricle. Its chordae tendineae attach to the anterior and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve, and the moderator band (septomarginal trabecula) connects to its base.
Function
It tightens the chordae tendineae during ventricular contraction to prevent the tricuspid valve from inverting into the atrium.
Body system
Cardiovascular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA7260 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • The right ventricle has three papillary muscles: anterior, posterior and septal.
  • Because the moderator band carries the right bundle branch to its base, it contracts early, tightening its chordae before the ventricle ejects.

Structures next to the anterior papillary muscle of ventricle

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Anterior papillary muscle of ventricle (FMA7260). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §20.1 Structure and Function of Blood Vessels. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.