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What Is Mitral Valve Buckling?

Written By: Adam Pick, Patient Advocate, Author & Website Founder
Page Last Updated: July 16, 2025

Every once and a while I get stumped by a patient question. Sometimes, I get really stumped. Today is one of those days.

I just received an email that I will do my best to answer. However, if you have anything to add, feel free to provide some insight in the comments section of this blog. The patient question reads, "Hi Adam, What is mitral valve buckling? Thanks!"

So you know, this is the first time I ever heard of mitral valve buckling. So, I did a little research. It appears that mitral valve buckling appears to be directly associated with mitral valve prolapse. As you can read in this post, mitral valve prolapse results when one of the heart valve flaps (also known as a mitral valve leaflet) moves back into the atrium when the heart beats. This "prolapse" can let blood flow from the ventricle back into the atrium as shown in the picture of the anatomy of the heart below.

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The phrase "mitral valve prolapse" was popularized due to the rise of echocardiograms to diagnose heart valve disease. However, according to research articles, including "The Echocardiographic Assessment of the Floppy Mitral Valve", prolapse was first described during angiograms as a "buckling motion" of the mitral leaflets into the left atrium.

An additional reference to mitral valve buckling is noted in an article published at the National Library of Medicine, "Ventricular buckling: a factor in the abnormal ventriculogram and peculiar hemodynamics associated with mitral valve prolapse", which states, "Abnormal intraventicular flow may probably result from associated prolapse of the anterior leaflet and from buckling of the papillary sties toward the mitral annulus."

So, unless I'm missing something, it appears that mitral valve prolapse and mitral valve buckling are actually one in the same. It is more of a definition issue than anything else. Hope that helps!

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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