Purpose: Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may be predisposed to deficient biomechanics or neuromuscular control. This study compared the biomechanics of adults with and without ASD completing a single-leg hopping task. We hypothesized that adults with ASD would demonstrate deficient biomechanics (i.e., decreased pelvic control and greater dynamic limb valgus) compared to adults without ASD.
Methods: 10 participants with ASD (8 male; mean age 23.3, SD ± 3.8) and 10 without ASD (8 male; mean age 21.5, SD ± 2.5) were included in this analysis. 3D motion capture data were collected while participants performed five consecutive single-leg hops. Two of the middle hops were analyzed and kinematic values were averaged across hops. Dynamic limb valgus and frontal plane pelvis range of motion were compared between groups using independent samples
t-tests.
Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the individuals with and without ASD (Table).
Conclusion: Our hypothesis was not supported. Individuals with ASD did not demonstrate deficient biomechanics during the single-leg hopping task when compared to individuals without ASD. The high-level of function of the adults with ASD in the present study may be related to their proficient hop performance. It is also possible other biomechanical variables not presently measured may highlight differences in performance between populations. The present results suggest adults with ASD have similar biomechanics as adults without ASD, though further study is needed.
Table: Comparison of Kinematic Variables Between Groups
| | | | |
| | ASD (n=10)* | Non-ASD (n=10)* | Between-Group Differences | p-value |
| Pelvis ROM | -8.3±2.81 | -6.7±2.35 | -1.6 | 0.194 |
| Hip flexion | 45.7±8.69 | 45.9±11.03 | 0.2 | 0.965 |
| Hip adduction | 8.1±3.99 | 4.4±4.81 | -3.7 | 0.077 |
| Hip internal rotation | 6.6±6.16 | 9.3±5.6 | 2.7 | 0.321 |
| Knee abduction | 7.1±4.81 | 3.6±3.94 | 3.5 | 0.100 |
| Knee flexion | 50.1±8.77 | 49.9±5.78 | 0.2 | 0.888 |
| Ankle dorsiflexion | 24.4±2.98 | 22.01±6.52 | 2.4 | 0.4 |
| | | | |
| Abbreviations: ASD=Autism Spectrum Disorder, ROM = range of motion |
| *Values are mean±SD degrees | | | |
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