endocardial cushions


endocardial

 [en″do-kahr´de-al] 1. situated or occurring within the heart.2. pertaining to the endocardium.endocardial cushions elevations on the atrioventricular canal of the embryonic heart that later help form the interatrial septum.

a·tri·o·ven·tric·u·lar ca·nal cush·ions

a pair of mounds of embryonic connective tissue covered by endothelium, bulging into the embryonic atrioventricular canal; one located dorsally and one ventrally; they grow together and fuse with each other and with the lower edge of the septum primum, dividing the originally single canal into right and left atrioventricular orifices. Synonym(s): endocardial cushions