Aortic root motion determined by ultrasound: Relation to cardiac performance in man

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if aortic root systolic anteroposterior excursion measured ultrasonically is related to cardiac performance. Aortic motion was 9 ± 1.5 mm (mean ± SD) in 30 normal subjects (range 7–12 mm). Ten patients with coronary artery disease and congestive failure and 10 with congestive cardiomyopathy had significantly smaller values of 4 ± 1.2 and 5 ± 1.7 mm, respectively (P < 0.001). In 28 subjects undergoing cardiac catheterization, aortic root motion correlated positively with stroke volume (r = 0.59), but did not correlate significantly with ejection fraction. By increasing heart rate in 14 subjects from 75 to 174 beats/min with atrial pacing, stroke volume decreased from 81 ± 22 to 34 ± 14 ml/beat and aortic excursion from 10 ± 1.6 to 5 ± 1.5 mm (P < 0.001). This study has shown: (1) Aortic root motion less than or equal to 6 mm indicates left ventricular dysfunction; (2) stroke volume correlates positively with, but cannot be accurately predicted from, root motion.