Name the major coronary arteries and the territories they nourish.

• A. LAD supplies the anterior wall and septum; LCx supplies the lateral wall.
• B. Right coronary artery divides into branches that supply the left atrium.
• C. LAD supplies the inferior wall of the left ventricle.
• D. Left coronary artery divides into LAD and LCx; RCA supplies the right heart and typically inferior wall of LV.

Answer: (D)

Understanding which arteries supply which regions of the heart is essential. The left coronary artery splits into the anterior interventricular artery (LAD) and the left circumflex artery (LCx). The LAD runs in the front of the heart and nourishes the anterior wall of the left ventricle and the anterior part of the interventricular septum. The LCx travels in the groove between the left atrium and left ventricle, nourishing the lateral wall of the left ventricle (and, depending on dominance, parts of the posterior wall).

The right coronary artery travels in the right atrioventricular groove and supplies the right atrium and right ventricle; in most people it gives rise to the posterior descending artery that supplies the inferior wall of the left ventricle and the posterior septum.

So, stating that the left coronary artery divides into LAD and LCx, and that the RCA supplies the right heart and typically the inferior wall of the LV, correctly names the major arteries and their territories. The other statements either omit the RCA, misstate which artery nourishes the inferior or other walls, or overstate the RCA’s role in left atrial supply.