A dead body is stiff and rigid to the touch. What degree of mortis and approximately how much time has passed since death?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rigor mortis is the stiffening of the body's muscles after death, which occurs within the first few hours and peaks at around 12-24 hours after death. It generally lasts for 24-48 hours before the muscles begin to relax again. Therefore, if a dead body is stiff and rigid to the touch, rigor mortis has likely set in, meaning that approximately 48-72 hours have passed since death. Choices A and B are incorrect because they refer to other post-mortem changes - algor mortis is the cooling of the body after death and livor mortis is the pooling of blood in the dependent parts of the body.

A Dead Body Is Stiff and Rigid to the Touch