Atrioventricular nodal branch
The atrioventricular nodal branch is a coronary artery that supplies arterial blood to the atrioventricular node, which is responsible for initiating muscular contraction of the ventricles. The AV nodal branch is most often a branch of the right coronary artery.
Structure
Origin
The atrioventricular nodal branch sees significant variation in origin:- proximal posterolateral branch from the right coronary artery in around 77%.
- distal posterolateral branch from the right coronary artery in around 2%.
- distal right coronary artery in around 10%.
- right posterior interventricular artery in around 7%.
- distal circumflex branch of left coronary artery in around 4%.
In approximately 2% of people, the vascular supply to the atrioventricular node arises from both the right coronary artery and the left circumflex branch.