When group of muscles of dead body
were in state of strong contration
immediately prior to death and remain so
even after death, this is termed as ?
a) Gas stiffening
b) Rigor mortis
c) Cadaveric spasm
d) Cold stiffening
Correct Answer - C
Ans. is ‘c’ i.e., Cadaveric spasm
Cadaveric spasm (instantaneous rigor) is defined as the condition
wherein a group of muscles, which were in contraction or spasm at
the time of death, continue to be in spasm even after death, without
the stage of primary relaxation.
It is a condition in which the muscles of the body which were in a
state of contraction immediately before death, continue to be so after
death without passing through the stage of primary relaxation.
Cadaveric spasm, being an antemortem phenomenon, reflects the
last act of the subject performed before and at the time of his death.
The cause and manner of death may be judged.
It may be due to exhausted ATP in the affected muscles with the
persistence of contraction even after death and the resulting failure
of the chemical processes required for active muscular relaxation to
occur during molecular death. Adrenocortical exhaustion, which
impairs resynthesis of ATP may be the possible cause