The aortic and pulmonary valves each have three thin, pocket-shaped cusps that open flat against the vessel wall as blood is ejected and snap shut as the pockets fill when the ventricle relaxes. Each cusp has a small nodule at the middle of its free edge and thin crescent-shaped margins (lunules) that seal against the neighbouring cusps.
| Location | At the roots of the aorta and pulmonary trunk, at the outflow of the left and right ventricles |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | None of importance (largely aneural) |
| Blood Supply | Avascular cusps nourished by diffusion from blood |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Prevent backflow from the aorta and pulmonary trunk into the ventricles during diastole.
Cusp thickening and calcification with age causes aortic stenosis, now commonly treated with transcatheter valve replacement. About 1-2% of people have a bicuspid aortic valve, which tends to wear out early. Infective endocarditis can perforate a cusp and cause sudden regurgitation.
Stiffened, calcified cusps that fail to open fully, causing breathlessness, chest pain or fainting on exertion.
A congenital valve with two cusps instead of three, prone to early stenosis, regurgitation and aortic dilatation.
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