tricuspid valve

The tricuspid valve is the one-way door between the right atrium and the right ventricle. As its name suggests, it has three flaps that open to let blood drop into the ventricle and close to keep it from washing back into the atrium.

When the right ventricle relaxes, the tricuspid valve opens and deoxygenated blood flows in from the right atrium. When the ventricle contracts, the three leaflets press together and seal, so the blood is forced forward into the lungs rather than backward.

Like the mitral valve, the tricuspid leaflets are held in place by chordae tendineae attached to papillary muscles. A leaky tricuspid valve (tricuspid regurgitation) is common and often mild, but in severe cases it raises pressure in the veins and contributes to swelling of the legs and a congested liver.