Two-dimensional shear wave elastography: a new tool for evaluating respiratory muscle stiffness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Table 5 Differences in the elastic modulus of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles in patients with different severities of COPD (kPa, X±S)

	Elastic modulus of diaphragm	Elastic modulus of intercostal muscle
Control (n = 20)	15.35 ± 2.22	18.04 ± 2.02
Mild COPD (n = 82)	23.78 ± 4.49^a	25.39 ± 5.60^a
Moderate COPD (n = 52)	33.49 ± 6.11^ab	33.95 ± 7.68^ab
Severe COPD (n = 46)	43.12 ± 5.89^abc	40.32 ± 9.22^abc
Very severe COPD (n = 39)	44.38 ± 4.47^abc	46.25 ± 9.45^abcd
F value	224.50	84.63
P value	< 0.001	< 0.001

COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
^acompared with the healthy control group, P < 0.05; ^bcompared with the mild COPD group, P < 0.05; ^ccompared with the moderate COPD group, P < 0.05, ^dcompared with the severe COPD group, P < 0.05

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