Contraction of the paraspinal muscles often causes
1.Pugilistic attitude
2.Boxer’s attiude
3.Opisthotonos
4.All of the above
sol:
Due to application of heat, muscles may get contracted and stiffened (heat stiffening or heat rigor). It is due to coagulation and denaturation of muscle proteins. Due to this, the body occupies a peculiar posture with generalized flexion of the trunk, upper limbs and lower limbs. The upper limbs are fl exed in such a pattern with the fingers appear curled inwards similar to the attitude or pose of a boxer (pugilist). Thus such appearance of body is called as boxer’s attitude or fencer’s attitude or pugilistic attitude. Such posture may be seen in antemortem as well as in postmortem burns (in other words, presence of pugilistic attitude do not differentiate whether the burns are antemortem or postmortem in nature). Contraction of the paraspinal muscles often causes a marked opisthotonos 6. Burns due to radiation, X-rays, UV rays, radium, laser, infrared rays, explosion injuries etc.