Growth of coronary artery branches--morphometric studies of corrosion preparations of the interventricular branch of the left coronary artery in the pig and piglet]

In corrosion casts of the left anterior descending coronary artery and its branches of higher anterior order, their length, diameter, and number of branches were examined in hearts of seven mature and seven young pigs. We systematically analyzed 95 branches in the corrosion casts of the mature pig hearts and 76 branches within the corrosion casts of the young pig hearts (left anterior descending coronary arteries and branches of 1st-5th order). The lengths of the branches of 1st order and the diameters of the branches of 1st and 2nd order had increased to the same degree as the lengths and diameters of the main trunk of the left anterior descending coronary artery and the linear measurements of the hearts. In the area of the more peripherally located branches, the differences showed a tendency to decrease. The number of branches differed only slightly between mature pigs' and young pigs' corrosion casts. These results show that during physiologic growth, no or only unremarkable new development of coronary artery branches occurs.