Apex of the heart

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Apex of the heart
Gray492.png
Sternocostal surface of heart. (Apex is not labeled, but is visible at bottom right.)
Latin apex cordis
Gray's subject #138 527

The apex of the heart is the lowest superficial part of the heart.

It is directed downward, forward, and to the left, and is overlapped by the left lung and pleura.

[edit] External anatomy

It lies behind the fifth left intercostal space, 8 to 9 cm from the mid-sternal line, slightly medial to the midclavicular line.

Alternately, it can be found about 4 cm below and 2 cm to the medial side of the left mammary papilla.

[edit] External links


This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages