title: Traumatic disruption of the fibrous skeleton of the heart, with injury of the tricuspid and mitral valves, aortic annulus, and ventricular septum.
abstract: In an automobile accident, a young man sustained blunt trauma to the chest that caused injury to the fibrous skeleton of the heart. The mitral and tricuspid valves and their annuli were lacerated, the aortic annulus was separated from the ventricular septum, and the ventricular septum was disrupted; however, with surgical management, the patient survived.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery and the Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
authors.forename: John M.
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kratz
authors.forename: Robert M.
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Sade
authors.forename: Bruce W.
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Usher
authors.forename: Joe E.
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gaddy