Myocardial Contraction during the Diastolic Isovolumetric Period: Analysis of Longitudinal Strain by Means of Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

The pattern of PSS and LD revealed by STE suggests there is contraction in the postsystolic phase of the cardiac cycle. The anatomical location of the segments in which this contraction is most frequently observed corresponds to the main path of the ascending component of the myocardial band. This contraction can be attributed to the protodiastolic untwisting of the LV.