A peculiar fibrillar pattern in the myocardial cells of trabeculae carneae in the right ventricle of the rat, mouse, and rabbit.

The cardiac muscle fibers in the trabeculae carneae of mice, rats, and rabbits show a special arrangement of densely interwoven myofibrils. They cross at various angles; however, a preferred orientation of the fibrils cannot be discerned. It is suggested that due to this arrangement the myocytes of trabeculae are not able to contract to the same extent as ventricular myocytes, but thereby gain a high rigidity during contraction. Hence, they may play a principal role as "guiding ridges" for the flow of blood, thereby improving hemodynamics.