What is the exact location of the cardiac groove?

The cardiac sulcus can be divided into the atrial portion and the ventricular portion, both located on the surface of the heart, with specific anatomical positions differing accordingly. The details are as follows:

1. Atrial portion of the cardiac sulcus

The cardiac sulcus is a deep groove on the heart's surface that separates the atria from the ventricles. Anatomically, it refers to the groove where the coronary arteries and cardiac veins are distributed, serving also as a boundary line on the heart's surface. The atrial portion of the cardiac sulcus begins adjacent to the left auricle, extends downward and to the right toward the right side of the atrium, then continues along the atrioventricular boundary downward and to the left, reaching the posterior aspect of the left ventricle.

2. Ventricular portion of the cardiac sulcus

This portion starts from the left side of the left ventricle, extends upward and to the right toward the location of the left auricle, then proceeds along the atrioventricular boundary downward and to the right, reaching the anterior aspect of the right ventricle, and finally extends to the right side of the right ventricle.

The presence of the cardiac sulcus helps maintain the heart's structure and function and serves as an important anatomical landmark in cardiac diseases.