title: Geometric models of the aortic and pulmonary roots: suggestions for the Ross procedure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss geometric factors, which may influence long-term results relating to homograft competence following the Ross procedure, we describe the 3D morphology of the pulmonary and aortic roots.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements were made on 25 human aortic and pulmonary roots. Inter-commissural distances and the heights of the sinuses were measured. For geometrical reconstruction the three commissures and their vertical projections at the root base were used as reference points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the pulmonary root, the three inter-commissural distances were of similar dimensions (17.9+/-1.6mm, 17.5+/-1.4mm and 18.6+/-1.5mm). In the aortic root, the right inter-commissural distance was greatest (18.8+/-1.9mm), followed by the non-coronary (17.4+/-2.0mm) and left coronary sinus commissures (15.2+/-1.9mm). The mean height of the left pulmonary sinus was greatest (20+/-1.7mm) followed by the anterior (17.5+/-1.4mm) and right pulmonary sinus (18+/-1.66mm). In the aortic root, the height of the right coronary sinus was the greatest (19.4+/-1.9mm) followed by the heights of the non-coronary (17.7+/-1.8mm) and left coronary sinus (17.4+/-1.4mm). Measured differences between parameters determine the tilt angle and direction of the root vector. The tilt angle in the pulmonary root averaged 16.26 degrees , respectively; for the aortic roots, it was 5.47 degrees .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Herein we suggest that the left pulmonary sinus is best implanted in the position of the right coronary sinus, the anterior pulmonary in the position of the non-coronary sinus and the right pulmonary sinus in the position of the left coronary sinus. In this way, the direction of the pulmonary root vector will be parallel to that of the aortic root vector.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Zürich, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland. denis.berdajs@usz.ch
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berdajs
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zünd
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schurr
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camenisch
authors.forename: Marko I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Turina
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Genoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000637:transplantation*