OBJECTIVE

The aim of this work was to study the response of muscles to mechanical irritation with the establishment of the maximum time of its occurrence within 2 to 15 hours of the post-mortem period in persons of mature, senile and elderly age with the development of an algorithm for its study. This work presents the data of a study of 345 corpses of mature, senile and elderly age with a precisely defined time of death coming within 2 to 15 hours of the post-mortem period. All studies were divided into 8 age groups. It was found that the response of muscles to mechanical irritation should be studied on all upper and lower extremities (both shoulders and both hips). A clear statistically significant difference in the height of the idiomuscular tumor depending on the time since death coming was not found in any of the studied age groups. The dependence of the muscle contraction swelling time appearance on the period of death and age of the deceased was established. Therefore, in the presence of a muscle contraction swelling the death time of adults who died at the age of 18—67 years (confidence level of at least 95%) is less than 10—12 hours and in its absence more than 10—12 hours. At the age of 68—97 years (confidence level of at least 95%), the presence of a muscle contraction swelling indicates the time of death less than 8—10 hours, and its absence more than 8—10 hours.