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The painful and permanent stiffening of a muscle is called:

  1. Atrophy

  2. Contracture

  3. Hypertrophy

  4. Myopathy

The correct answer is: Atrophy

Explanation Atrophy is the correct answer because it is the only option that accurately describes the symptom of painful and permanent stiffening of a muscle. Contracture refers to a tightening of tissue, not necessarily specific to muscles. Hypertrophy involves an increase in the size of muscle tissue, not stiffness. Myopathy is a more general term for any disease or disorder of the muscle.