Stiffening of a single muscle group immediately after death is known as what?

• A. Cadaveric Spasm
• B. Rigor Mortis
• C. Livor Mortis
• D. Tardieu Spots

Answer: (A)

Stiffening of a single muscle group immediately after death is cadaveric spasm. This is an instantaneous, localized contraction that occurs at the moment of death, so you might see a specific muscle or group—often the hands or jaw—remain rigid right away. It differs from rigor mortis, which is a gradual, whole-body stiffening that develops over hours as chemical changes in the muscles progress. The other terms describe different postmortem changes: livor mortis is the settling of blood causing skin discoloration in dependent areas, and tardieu spots are small hemorrhages that can occur with asphyxia or immersion. The key idea is the immediate, localized nature of the stiffness, which points to cadaveric spasm.