Forty Sprague-Dawley rats (140-170 g) were divided into five groups: group 1 (n = 8): controls, group 2 (n = 8): postmortem bruises, group 3 (n = 8): bruises 1 h before death, group 4 (n = 8): bruises 3 h before death, group 5 (n = 8): bruises 6 h before death. Measurements of the right gluteus maximus muscle were taken at 6, 24, and 48 h after the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The results from this study indicate that electric impedance spectroscopy is clearly sensitive enough to differentiate between vital and postmortem wound infliction and to determine the survival time after the infliction of an injury. (Published Abstract)