Ventricular Helix Angle Trends and Long-Range Connectivity.

Porcine hearts (N = 14) underwent ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 3T. DTI analysis showed regional differences in helix angle (HA) range. The HA range in the posterior free wall was significantly greater than that of the anterior free wall (p = 0.02), the lateral free wall (p < 0.001) and the septum (p = 0.008). The best-fit transmural HA function also varied by region, with eight regions best described by an arctan function, seven by an arcsine function, and a single region by a linear function. Tractography analysis was performed, and the length that the tracts spanned within the epicardial, midwall, and endocardial segments was measured. A high number of tracts span the epicardial and mid-wall thirds, with fewer tracts spanning the mid-wall and endocardial thirds. Connectivity analysis of the number of tracts connecting different ventricular regions showed a high prevalence of oblique tracts that may be critical for long-range connectivity.