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Table 1
QUS parameters measured among different subject groups
	Group 0 (control)	Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
With loading
SOS (m·s^-1)	1596.84 ± 33.16	1570.24 ± 36.98^a	1566.80 ± 32.60^a	1553.51 ± 18.83^a
nBUA (dB·MHz^-1·cm^-1)	19.66 ± 4.90	15.22 ± 3.18^b	13.95 ± 5.87^b	11.72 ± 3.19^b,c
STI	86.08 ± 19.44	70.12 ± 16.69^a	65.32 ± 22.19^a	55.65 ± 14.24^a
Without loading
SOS (m·s^-1)	1596.67 ± 30.18	1574.07 ± 35.83^a	1568.63 ± 31.77^a	1558.36 ± 15.60^a
nBUA (dB·MHz^-1·cm^-1)	18.65 ± 4.18	14.57 ± 2.92^b	12.97 ± 5.45^b	11.25 ± 3.07^b,c
STI	83.21 ± 16.66	69.14 ± 15.96^b	68.94 ± 14.76^b	52.75 ± 9.66^b,c

^a Significantly different from group 0 (p < 0.05).

^b Significantly different from group 0 (p < 0.005).

^c significantly different from group 1 (p < 0.005).

Liu et al. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2012 13:70 doi:10.1186/1471-2474-13-70

Table 1