Department of Human Movement Sciences, 2016 Student Recreation Center, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, United States.
J Biomech. 2023 Mar;149:111478. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111478. Epub 2023 Feb 1.
Running is one of the most common forms of physical activity for autistic adolescents. However, research examining their lower extremity dynamics is sparse. In particular, no information exists regarding lower extremity joint stiffness in autistic adolescents. This study compared knee and ankle joint stiffness during the absorption phase of running between autistic adolescents and non-autistic controls. Motion capture and ground reaction forces were recorded for 22 autistic adolescents and 17 non-autistic age, sex, and BMI matched peers who ran at self-selected and standardized (3.0 m/s) speeds. Group × speed knee and ankle joint stiffness, change in moment, and range of motion were compared using mixed-model ANOVAs. There were no group × speed interactions for any variable. Autistic adolescents presented with significant (12 % and 19 %) reduced knee and ankle joint stiffness, respectively. In addition, autistic adolescents had significant reduced changes in knee and ankle joint moments by 11 % and 21 %, respectively, compared to their non-autistic peers. Only knee joint stiffness and knee joint moments were sensitive to running speed, each significantly increasing with speed by 6 %. Current literature suggests joint stiffness is an important mechanism for stability and usage of the stretch shortening cycle (or elastic recoil); as such, it is possible that the reduced ankle plantar flexor and knee extensor stiffness found in autistic adolescents in this study could be indicative of reduced efficiency during running. As group differences existed across both speeds, autistic adolescents may benefit from therapeutic and/or educational interventions targeting efficient running mechanics.
跑步是自闭症青少年最常见的体育活动形式之一。然而，研究他们下肢动力学的研究很少。特别是，自闭症青少年下肢关节僵硬的信息尚不存在。本研究比较了自闭症青少年和非自闭症对照组在跑步吸收阶段膝关节和踝关节的刚度。为 22 名自闭症青少年和 17 名非自闭症青少年记录了运动捕捉和地面反作用力，这些青少年的年龄、性别和 BMI 与跑步速度相匹配，分别为自我选择和标准化（3.0 m/s）。使用混合模型 ANOVA 比较了组×速度膝关节和踝关节刚度、力矩变化和运动范围。任何变量都没有组×速度的相互作用。自闭症青少年的膝关节和踝关节刚度分别显著降低了 12%和 19%。此外，与非自闭症青少年相比，自闭症青少年的膝关节和踝关节力矩变化分别显著降低了 11%和 21%。只有膝关节刚度和膝关节力矩对跑步速度敏感，分别显著增加了 6%。目前的文献表明，关节刚度是稳定性和弹性能量循环（或弹性回弹）使用的重要机制；因此，在本研究中，自闭症青少年踝关节跖屈肌和膝关节伸肌刚度降低可能表明跑步时效率降低。由于两种速度都存在组间差异，自闭症青少年可能受益于针对高效跑步力学的治疗和/或教育干预。
