[Objective assessment and quantification of postmortem muscle contraction to electrical stimulation]

The muscular contraction on electrical stimulation (rectangular impulses of 1 s duration, 2 to 80 mA current intensity) was objectified using a sensitive force transducer.The shape of the muscular contraction (time course) is changing over the postmortem interval with two peaks (opening and closing contraction according to Pflüger's law) in the early postmortem interval and only one peak in the later postmortem interval. The relaxation period of muscular contraction is increasing over the postmortem interval. The maximum force developed during muscular contraction on definite current intensity is decreasing over the postmortem interval. Increase of the relaxation period a decrease of the maximum force in response to a definite current intensity are criteria allowing a determination of the time since death on an objective basis.