Forensic Medicine · Death & Postmortem Changes

Stiffening of the Dead Body: Heat & Cold Stiffening

2 min read · Verified by professors

Causes of Stiffness in a Dead Body

  1. Rigor mortis
  2. Cadaveric spasm
  3. Heat stiffening
  4. Cold stiffening

Heat Stiffening

Heat stiffening is stiffening of muscles due to coagulation of muscle proteins by exposure to high temperature.

Mechanism: High temperature → coagulation of muscle proteins → muscle contraction → heat stiffening.

Features

  • Seen in bodies exposed to fire.
  • Muscles become hard and contracted.
  • Produces a pugilistic attitude.

Pugilistic attitude: flexion of elbows, flexion of knees, flexion of hips, clenched fists.

Caution

Heat stiffening does NOT indicate that the person was alive during the fire — it is seen in both antemortem and postmortem burning.