Learn about the pericardium , a protective, fibroserous sac that encloses the heart and its great blood vessels. Find out its layers, functions, embryological relations, and clinical significance. Learn about the pericardium , the membrane that encloses the heart and the roots of the major heart vessels. Find out its structure, function, blood supply, innervation and clinical relations. The pericardium is a double-walled sac around the heart that protects, lubricates and limits its motion. Learn about its layers, anatomical relationships, and common conditions such as pericarditis and pericardial effusion. The pericardium is a double-walled, fibroserous, and conical sac structure encasing the heart and proximal roots of the great cardiac vessels. In humans, it is located within the mediastinal cavity posterior to the sternum and cartilages of the third through seventh ribs of the left thorax and is separated from the anterior wall of the thorax. It is encompassed from the posterior resting against the bronchi, the esophagus, the descending thoracic aorta, and the posterior regions of the ...