The tricuspid valve, or right atrioventricular valve, regulates blood flow between the right atrium and the right ventricle. The tricuspid valve prevents back flow of blood into the right atrium.
The tricuspid valve usually has three leaflets, each anchored to a papillary muscle in the right ventricle. The leaflets are connected to the papillary muscles by chordae tendineae. Some tricuspid valves have two or four leaflets, and the number may change during one's lifetime.