Estimation of time after death by the muscle contraction swelling (idiomuscular tumor) in children and adolescents (4-17 years old)

Abstract

Study of muscles response to mechanical irritation with the establishment of the maximum time of its occurrence for 2 to 15 hours of the postmortem period in children and adolescents who died at the age of 4 to 17 years. The the study data of 228 corpses of children and adolescents aged from 4 to 17 years with a precisely established time of death - from 2 to 15 hours are presented. Three age groups are identified: 1st - from 4 to 7 years, 2nd - from 8 to 11th and 3rd - from 12 to 17 years old. As a result of the studies it was found that the response of muscles to mechanical stress in children does not depend on gender and depends on age. The time of occurrence of a muscle contraction swelling was determined for each studied age groups. The obtained results for the first time give reliable evidence of a postmortem time limit for the appearance of a muscle contraction swelling in children of various age groups.