Crista terminalis

Author: Roberto Grujičić, MD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: October 30, 2023
Reading time: 2 minutes

The crista terminalis (terminal crest) is a C-shaped ridge located in the endocardial aspect of the right atrium of the heart.

This smooth muscular ridge extends along the posterolateral wall of the right atrium, from the orifice of the superior vena cava to the orifice of the inferior vena cava. Inferiorly, the crista terminalis terminates by merging with the valve of the inferior vena cava.

The crista terminalis corresponds to the terminal groove located on the external surface of the heart. Moreover, the crista terminalis marks the site of the right venous valve of the developing heart.

The crista terminalis is a site of origin of several pectinate muscles. In addition, the crista terminalis becomes clinically significant when it protrudes significantly into the right atrium and thus resembles a cardiac mass (e.g. neoplasm) in imaging procedures or when it facilitates the occurrence of atrial arrhythmias.

Terminology	English: Crista terminalis Latin: Crista terminalis Synonym: Terminal crest
Location	Posterolateral endocardial wall of right atrium of heart
Function	Origin of pectinate muscles, cardiac arrhythmias, resebmling cardiac neoplasm

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Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.

Loukas, M., Tubbs, R. S., Tongson, J. M., Polepalli, S., Curry, B., Jordan, R., & Wagner, T. (2008). The clinical anatomy of the crista terminalis, pectinate muscles and the teniae sagittalis. Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, 190(1), 81–87.

Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F., & Agur, A. (2017). Clinically oriented anatomy (8th ed.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Frank H.Netter MD: Atlas of Human Anatomy, 5th Edition, Elsevier Saunders.

Richard L. Drake, A. Wayne Vogl, Adam. W.M. Mitchell: Gray’s Anatomy for Students, 2nd Edition, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

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