Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26849441›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2016

Anatomical Variations in the Sinoatrial Nodal Artery: A Meta-Analysis and Clinical Considerations.

Jens Vikse, Brandon Michael Henry, Joyeeta Roy, Piravin Kumar Ramakrishnan, Wan Chin Hsieh, Jerzy A Walocha, Krzysztof A Tomaszewski

Erratum issuedAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 23 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Angiographic Characterization and Sex-Related Anatomical Differences of Atrial Coronary Arteries Anatomy-A Proposal of Systematic Classification.Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions · 2025
    Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Usefulness of temporary pacemaker during acetylcholine provocation testing.International journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature · 2024
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Associations Between Coronary Artery Calcium Score and Exacerbation Risk in BLOCK-COPD.Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Miami, Fla.) · 2024
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Conduction Disorders in the Setting of Acute STEMI.Current cardiology reviews · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jens VikseInternational Evidence-Based Anatomy Working Group, Krakow, Poland.
Brandon Michael HenryInternational Evidence-Based Anatomy Working Group, Krakow, Poland.
Joyeeta RoyInternational Evidence-Based Anatomy Working Group, Krakow, Poland.
Piravin Kumar RamakrishnanInternational Evidence-Based Anatomy Working Group, Krakow, Poland.
Wan Chin HsiehFirst Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Jerzy A WalochaInternational Evidence-Based Anatomy Working Group, Krakow, Poland.
Krzysztof A TomaszewskiInternational Evidence-Based Anatomy Working Group, Krakow, Poland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectiveThe sinoatrial nodal artery (SANa) is a highly variable vessel which supplies blood to the sinoatrial node (SAN). Due to its variability and susceptibility to iatrogenic injury, our study aimed to assess the anatomy of the SANa and determine the prevalence of its anatomical variations. STUDY

designAn extensive search of major electronic databases was performed to identify all articles reporting anatomical data on the SANa. No lower date limit or language restrictions were applied. Anatomical data regarding the artery were extracted and pooled into a meta-analysis.

resultsSixty-six studies (n = 21455 hearts) were included in the meta-analysis. The SANa usually arose as a single vessel with a pooled prevalence of 95.5% (95%CI:93.6-96.9). Duplication and triplication of the artery were also observed with pooled prevalence of 4.3% (95%CI:2.8-6.0) and 0.3% (95%CI:0-0.7), respectively. The most common origin of the SANa was from the right coronary artery (RCA), found in 68.0% (95%CI:55.6-68.9) of cases, followed by origin from the left circumflex artery, and origin from the left coronary artery with pooled prevalence of 22.1% (95%CI:15.0-26.2) and 2.7 (95%CI:0.7-5.2), respectively. A retrocaval course of the SANa was the most common course of the artery with a pooled prevalence of 47.1% (95%CI:36.0-55.5). The pooled prevalence of an S-shaped SANa was 7.6% (95%CI:2.9-14.1).

conclusionsThe SANa is most commonly reported as a single vessel, originating from the RCA, and taking a retrocaval course to reach the SAN. Knowledge of high risk anatomical variants of the SANa, such as an S-shaped artery, must be taken into account by surgeons to prevent iatrogenic injuries. Specifically, interventional or cardiosurgical procedures, such as the Cox maze procedure for atrial fibrillation, open heart surgeries through the right atrium or intraoperative cross-clamping or dissection procedures during mitral valve surgery using the septal approach can all potentiate the risk for injury in the setting of high-risk morphological variants of the SANa.

Indexed as

Cardiac Surgical ProceduresCoronary VesselsHumansSinoatrial Node

Identifiers

PMID26849441
PMCPMC4743947

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.