Reversibility of the mandibular rigor mortis in human dead body using sodio bicarbonate at different temperatures, Bogotá

Abstract

Background: The limitation in mouth opening in human cadavers with rigor mortis interferes with the process of human identification. Objective: Improve mouth opening conditions induced by sodium bicarbonate 0.01 M at 12°C and 37ºC in human NN dead body with mandibular rigor mortis to facilitate the process of postmortem identification. Materials and methods: An experimental study ex-alive was made. 40 human dead body NN with rigor mortis in phase state, which entered to the Morgue of Legal Medicine National lnstitute and Forensic Sciences, were divided randomly into 4 groups of 1O subjects, G1 water at 12°C, G2 Water at 37°C, G3 sodium bicarbonate 0.01 M 12°C and G4 sodium bicarbonate 0.01 M at 37°C. Initial mouth opening was measured, after this, every 15 minutes from the inoculation until to complete 3 hours. 5 cc of the aforementioned solution was inoculated extraorally into the temporal and masseter muscles bilaterally and simultaneously. Results: The G4 had an opening of 31.5 ± 7.8mm, 60 minutes after inoculation and G3 had an opening of 30.6 ± 5.4mm, 180 minutes after inoculation, finding significant differences among the 4 groups, with a p value < 0.05. Conclusions: The process of reversing the mandibular rigor mortis through the inoculation of 0.01 M sodium bicarbonate at 37°C into the muscles of mastication, becomes a rapid, cheap and easy method to achieve useful mouth opening, amid to make dental examination postmortem.