d-amino acids metabolism reflects the evolutionary origin of higher plants and their adaptation to the environment.

d-amino acids are the d stereoisomers of the common l-amino acids found in proteins. Over the past two decades, the occurrence of d-amino acids in plants has been reported and circumstantial evidence for a role in various processes, including interaction with soil microorganisms or interference with cellular signalling, has been provided. However, examples are not numerous and d-amino acids can also be detrimental, some of them inhibiting growth and development. Thus, the persistence of d-amino acid metabolism in plants is rather surprising, and the evolutionary origins of d-amino acid metabolism are currently unclear. Systemic analysis of sequences associated with d-amino acid metabolism enzymes shows that they are not simply inherited from cyanobacterial metabolism. In fact, the history of plant d-amino acid metabolism enzymes likely involves multiple steps, cellular compartments, gene transfers and losses. Regardless of evolutionary steps, enzymes of d-amino acid metabolism, such as d-amino acid transferases or racemases, have been retained by higher plants and have not simply been eliminated, so it is likely that they fulfil important metabolic roles such as serine, folate or plastid peptidoglycan metabolism. We suggest that d-amino acid metabolism may have been critical to support metabolic functions required during the evolution of land plants.

Deliberative processes in health technology assessment of medicines: the case of Spain.

OBJECTIVES: Spain incorporated in 2020 changes in its health technology assessment (HTA), pricing, and reimbursement system for medicines including publishing reports, development of networks of experts, or consultation with stakeholders. Despite these changes, it is unclear how deliberative frameworks are applied and the process has been criticized for not being sufficiently transparent. This study analyses the level of implementation of deliberative processes in HTA for medicines in Spain. METHODS: We review the grey literature and summarize the Spanish HTA, pricing, and reimbursement process of medicines. We apply the deliberative processes for HTA checklist, developed to assess the overall context of the deliberative process, and identify the stakeholders involved and type of involvement following the framework for evidence-informed deliberative processes, a framework for benefit package design that aims to optimize the legitimacy of decision making. RESULTS: In the Spanish HTA, pricing, and reimbursement process deliberation takes place in order to exchange viewpoints and reach common ground, mainly during the prioritization, assessment, and appraisal steps. It is closed to the public, not clearly summarized in published documents and limited to the Ministry of Health, the regulatory agency, other Ministries, and experts with mostly clinical and/or pharmaceutical background. The views of stakeholders are only represented through consultation. Communication is the most commonly used form of stakeholder engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improvements in transparency of the Spanish HTA process for evaluating medicines, aspects related to stakeholder involvement and implementation of deliberative frameworks need further attention in order to achieve further legitimacy of the process.

A novel chicory fructanase can degrade common microbial fructan product profiles and displays positive cooperativity.

Fructan metabolism in bacteria and plants relies on fructosyltransferases and fructanases. Plant fructanases (fructan exohydrolase, FEH) only hydrolyse terminal fructose residues. Levan (ß-2,6 linkages) is the most abundant fructan type in bacteria. Dicot fructan accumulators, such as chicory (Cichorium intybus), accumulate inulin (ß-2,1 linkages), harbouring several 1-FEH isoforms for their degradation. Here, a novel chicory fructanase with high affinity for levan was characterized, providing evidence that such enzymes widely occur in higher plants. It is adapted to common microbial fructan profiles, but has low affinity towards chicory inulin, in line with a function in trimming of microbial fructans in the extracellular environment. Docking experiments indicate the importance of an N-glycosylation site close to the active site for substrate specificity. Optimal pH and temperature for levan hydrolysis are 5.0 and 43.7 °C, respectively. Docking experiments suggested multiple substrate binding sites and levan-mediated enzyme dimerization, explaining the observed positive cooperativity. Alignments show a single amino acid shift in the position of a conserved DXX(R/K) couple, typical for sucrose binding in cell wall invertases. A possible involvement of plant fructanases in levan trimming is discussed, in line with the emerging 'fructan detour' concepts, suggesting that levan oligosaccharides act as signalling entities during plant-microbial interactions.

Characterization of inulolytic enzymes from the Jerusalem artichoke-derived Glutamicibacter mishrai NJAU-1.

The rhizosphere context of inulin-accumulating plants, such as Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), is an ideal starting basis for the discovery of inulolytic enzymes with potential for bio fructose production. We isolated a Glutamicibacter mishrai NJAU-1 strain from this context, showing exo-inulinase activity, releasing fructose from fructans. The growth conditions (pH 9.0; 15 °C) were adjusted, and the production of inulinase by Glutamicibacter mishrai NJAU-1 increased by 90% (0.32 U/mL). Intriguingly, both levan and inulin, but not fructose and sucrose, induced the production of exo-inulinase activity. Two exo-inulinase genes (inu1 and inu2) were cloned and heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris. While INU2 preferentially hydrolyzed longer inulins, the smallest fructan 1-kestose appeared as the preferred substrate for INU1, also efficiently degrading nystose and sucrose. Active site docking studies with GFn- and Fn-type small inulins (G is glucose, F is fructose, and n is the number of ß (2-1) bound fructose moieties) revealed subtle substrate differences between INU1 and INU2. A possible explanation about substrate specificity and INU's protein structure is then suggested. KEY POINTS: • A Glutamicibacter mishrai strain harbored exo-inulinase activity. • Fructans induced the inulolytic activity in G. mishrai while the inulolytic activity was optimized at pH 9.0 and 15 °C. • Two exo-inulinases with differential substrate specificity were characterized.

Real-Time Wireless Platform for In Vivo Monitoring of Bone Regeneration.

For the monitoring of bone regeneration processes, the instrumentation of the fixation is an increasingly common technique to indirectly measure the evolution of bone formation instead of ex vivo measurements or traditional in vivo techniques, such as X-ray or visual review. A versatile instrumented external fixator capable of adapting to multiple bone regeneration processes was designed, as well as a wireless acquisition system for the data collection. The design and implementation of the overall architecture of such a system is described in this work, including the hardware, firmware, and mechanical components. The measurements are conditioned and subsequently sent to a PC via wireless communication to be in vivo displayed and analyzed using a developed real-time monitoring application. Moreover, a model for the in vivo estimation of the bone callus stiffness from collected data was defined. This model was validated in vitro using elastic springs, reporting promising results with respect to previous equipment, with average errors and uncertainties below 6.7% and 14.04%. The devices were also validated in vivo performing a bone lengthening treatment on a sheep metatarsus. The resulting system allowed the in vivo mechanical characterization of the bone callus during experimentation, providing a low-cost, simple, and highly reliable solution.

Size product modulation by enzyme concentration reveals two distinct levan elongation mechanisms in Bacillus subtilis levansucrase.

Two levan distributions are produced typically by Bacillus subtilis levansucrase (SacB): a high-molecular weight (HMW) levan with an average molecular weight of 2300 kDa, and a low-molecular weight (LMW) levan with 7.2 kDa. Previous results have demonstrated how reaction conditions modulate levan molecular weight distribution. Here we demonstrate that the SacB enzyme is able to perform two mechanisms: a processive mechanism for the synthesis of HMW levan and a non-processive mechanism for the synthesis of LMW levan. Furthermore, the effect of enzyme and substrate concentration on the elongation mechanism was studied. While a negligible effect of substrate concentration was observed, we found that SacB elongation mechanism is determined by enzyme concentration. A high concentration of enzyme is required to synthesize LMW levan, involving the sequential formation of a wide variety of intermediate size levan oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization (DP) up to ∼70. In contrast, an HMW levan distribution is synthesized through a processive mechanism producing oligosaccharides with DP <20, in reactions occurring at low enzyme concentration. Additionally, reactions where levansucrase concentration was varied while the total enzyme activity was kept constant (using a combination of active SacB and an inactive SacB E342A/D86A) allowed us to demonstrate that enzyme concentration and not enzyme activity affects the final levan molecular weight distribution. The effect of enzyme concentration on the elongation mechanism is discussed in detail, finding that protein-product interactions are responsible for the mechanism shift.

The Complex GH32 Enzyme Orchestra from Priestia megaterium Holds the Key to Better Discriminate Sucrose-6-phosphate Hydrolases from Other ß-Fructofuranosidases in Bacteria.

Inulin is widely used as a prebiotic and emerging as a priming compound to counteract plant diseases. We isolated inulin-degrading strains from the lettuce phyllosphere, identified as Bacillus subtilis and Priestia megaterium, species hosting well-known biocontrol organisms. To better understand their varying inulin degradation strategies, three intracellular ß-fructofuranosidases from P. megaterium NBRC15308 were characterized after expression in Escherichia coli: a predicted sucrose-6-phosphate (Suc6P) hydrolase (SacAP1, supported by molecular docking), an exofructanase (SacAP2), and an invertase (SacAP3). Based on protein multiple sequence and structure alignments of bacterial glycoside hydrolase family 32 enzymes, we identified conserved residues predicted to be involved in binding phosphorylated (Suc6P hydrolases) or nonphosphorylated substrates (invertases and fructanases). Suc6P hydrolases feature positively charged residues near the structural catalytic pocket (histidine, arginine, or lysine), whereas other ß-fructofuranosidases contain tryptophans. This correlates with our phylogenetic tree, grouping all predicted Suc6P hydrolases in a clan associated with genomic regions coding for transporters involved in substrate phosphorylation. These results will help to discriminate between Suc6P hydrolases and other ß-fructofuranosidases in future studies and to better understand the interaction of B. subtilis and P. megaterium endophytes with sucrose and/or fructans, sugars naturally present in plants or exogenously applied in the context of defense priming.

Insights in inulin binding and inulin oligosaccharide formation by novel multi domain endo-inulinases from Botrytis cinerea.

World-wide, pathogenic fungi such as Botrytis cinerea cause tremendous yield losses in terms of food production and post-harvest food decay. Many fungi produce inulin-type oligosaccharides (IOSs) from inulin through endo-inulinases which typically show a two domain structure. B.cinerea lacks a two domain endo-inulinase but contains a three domain structure instead. Genome mining revealed three and four domain (d4) enzymes in the fungal kingdom. Here, three and two domain enzymes were compared in their capacity to produce IOSs from inulin. Hill kinetics were observed in three domain enzymes as compared to Michaelis-Menten kinetics in two domain enzymes, suggesting that the N-terminal extension functions as a carbohydrate binding module. Analysis of the IOS product profiles generated from purified GF6, GF12, GF16 and GF18 inulins and extensive sugar docking approaches led to enhanced insights in the active site functioning, revealing subtle differences between the endo-inulinases from Aspergillus niger and B. cinerea. Improved insights in structure-function relationships in fungal endo-inulinases offer opportunities to develop superior enzymes for the production of specific IOS formulations to improve plant and animal health (priming agents, prebiotics).

Life cycle assessment of a LiFePO4 cylindrical battery.

Reduction of the environmental impact, energy efficiency and optimization of material resources are basic aspects in the design and sizing of a battery. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the environmental impact associated with the life cycle of a 7.47 Wh 18,650 cylindrical single-cell LiFePO4 battery. Life cycle assessment (LCA), the SimaPro 9.1 software package, the Ecoinvent 3.5 database and the ReCiPe 2016 impact assessment method were used for this purpose. Environmental impacts were modelled and quantified using the dual midpoint-endpoint approach and the "cradle-to-gate" model. The results showed the electrodes to be the battery components with the highest environmental impact (41.36% of the total), with the negative electrode being the most unfavourable (29.8 mPt). The ageing, calibration and testing process (53.97 mPt) accounts for 97.21% of the total impact associated with the production process's consumption of energy, and 41.20% of the total impact associated with the battery. This new knowledge will allow a more detailed view of the environmental impact of cylindrical cell LiFePO4 batteries, favouring the identification of critical points to enhance their sustainable production.

Types of Temporary Immersion Systems Used in Commercial Plant Micropropagation.

Technological innovation in the design and manufacture of temporary immersion systems (TIS) has increased in the past decade. Innovations have involved the size, fitting, and replacement of components, as well as manufacturing materials. Air replacement by compressor has also been substituted by air replacement by preset tilting/rotation of culture bottles. This design modification aims to increase the biological yield (number of shoots) produced in these bottles and reduce manufacturing costs. However, the operative principle has remained unchanged through time: promote an environment where explant immersions in the culture medium are programmable. The changes in the TIS design involve advantages and disadvantages, generating the efficiency of one type over another. However, validation to identify the most effective type of TIS should be carried out for each plant species. This chapter lists the different types of temporary immersion available on the market, emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages of each when used for plant micropropagation.

Numerical simulation of a relaxation test designed to fit a quasi-linear viscoelastic model for temporomandibular joint discs.

The main objectives of this work are: (a) to introduce an algorithm for adjusting the quasi-linear viscoelastic model to fit a material using a stress relaxation test and (b) to validate a protocol for performing such tests in temporomandibular joint discs. This algorithm is intended for fitting the Prony series coefficients and the hyperelastic constants of the quasi-linear viscoelastic model by considering that the relaxation test is performed with an initial ramp loading at a certain rate. This algorithm was validated before being applied to achieve the second objective. Generally, the complete three-dimensional formulation of the quasi-linear viscoelastic model is very complex. Therefore, it is necessary to design an experimental test to ensure a simple stress state, such as uniaxial compression to facilitate obtaining the viscoelastic properties. This work provides some recommendations about the experimental setup, which are important to follow, as an inadequate setup could produce a stress state far from uniaxial, thus, distorting the material constants determined from the experiment. The test considered is a stress relaxation test using unconfined compression performed in cylindrical specimens extracted from temporomandibular joint discs. To validate the experimental protocol, the test was numerically simulated using finite-element modelling. The disc was arbitrarily assigned a set of quasi-linear viscoelastic constants (c1) in the finite-element model. Another set of constants (c2) was obtained by fitting the results of the simulated test with the proposed algorithm. The deviation of constants c2 from constants c1 measures how far the stresses are from the uniaxial state. The effects of the following features of the experimental setup on this deviation have been analysed: (a) the friction coefficient between the compression plates and the specimen (which should be as low as possible); (b) the portion of the specimen glued to the compression plates (smaller areas glued are better); and (c) the variation in the thickness of the specimen. The specimen's faces should be parallel to ensure a uniaxial stress state. However, this is not possible in real specimens, and a criterion must be defined to accept the specimen in terms of the specimen's thickness variation and the deviation of the fitted constants arising from such a variation.

[Venous angioma with associated cerebellar haemorrhage]. / Angioma venoso asociado a hemorragia cerebelosa. Presentación de un caso.

Venous angiomas are a developmental anomaly in which embryonic venous drainage is still present into adulthood. They are usually asymptomatic and benign course but they can cause seizures and less commonly bleeding, usually associated to cavernous malformation. Normally, treatment is not necessary although bleeding, severe clinical and lesions in which it is possible a favourable approach, we can consider treatment. We show a case of a 11 years old boy with acute decrease level of consciousness. We observed hematoma in the right cerebellar hemisphere with radial tubular structures consistent with developmental venous anomaly. The hematoma was evacuated without a demonstrable other reason justifying the bleeding.

Differences in acute ischaemic stroke in-hospital mortality across referral stroke hospitals in Spain: a retrospective, longitudinal observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess differences in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) in-hospital mortality between referral stroke hospitals and provide evidence on the association of those differences with the overtime adoption of effective reperfusion therapies. DESIGN: Retrospective, longitudinal observational study using administrative data for virtually all hospital admissions from 2003 to 2015. SETTING: Thirty-seven referral stroke hospitals in the Spanish National Health System. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 18 years and older with a hospital episode with an admission diagnosis of AIS in any referral stroke hospital (196 099 admissions). MAIN ENDPOINTS: (1) Hospital variation in 30-day in-hospital mortality measured in terms of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); and (2) the difference in mortality between the hospital of treatment and the trend of utilisation of reperfusion therapies (including intravenous fibrinolysis and endovascular mechanical thrombectomy) in terms of median OR (MOR). RESULTS: Adjusted 30-day AIS in-hospital mortality decreased over the study period. Adjusted in-hospital mortality after AIS rates varied from 6.66% to 16.01% between hospitals. Beyond differences in patient characteristics, the relative contribution of the hospital of treatment was higher in the case of patients undergoing reperfusion therapies (ICC=0.031 (95% Bayesian credible interval (BCI)=0.017 to 0.057)) than in the case of those who did not (ICC=0.016 (95% BCI=0.010 to 0.026)). Using the MOR, the difference in risk of death was as high as 46% between the hospital with the highest risk and the hospital with the lowest risk of patients undergoing reperfusion therapy (MOR 1.46 (95% BCI 1.32 to 1.68)); in patients not undergoing any reperfusion therapy, the risk was 31% higher (MOR 1.31 (95% BCI 1.24 to 1.41)). CONCLUSIONS: In the referral stroke hospitals of the Spanish National Health System, the overall adjusted in-hospital mortality decreased between 2003 and 2015. However, between-hospital variations in mortality persisted.

Mechanics Predicts Effective Critical-Size Bone Regeneration Using 3D-Printed Bioceramic Scaffolds.

BACKGROUND: 3D-printed bioceramic scaffolds have gained popularity due to their controlled microarchitecture and their proven biocompatibility. However, their high brittleness makes their surgical implementation complex for weight-bearing bone treatments. Thus, they would require difficult-to-instrument rigid internal fixations that limit a rigorous evaluation of the regeneration progress through the analysis of mechanic-structural parameters. METHODS: We investigated the compatibility of flexible fixations with fragile ceramic implants, and if mechanical monitoring techniques are applicable to bone tissue engineering applications. Tissue engineering experiments were performed on 8 ovine metatarsi. A 15 mm bone segment was directly replaced with a hydroxyapatite scaffold and stabilized by an instrumented Ilizarov-type external fixator. Several in vivo monitoring techniques were employed to assess the mechanical and structural progress of the tissue. RESULTS: The applied surgical protocol succeeded in combining external fixators and subject-specific bioceramic scaffolds without causing fatal fractures of the implant due to stress concentrator. The bearing capacity of the treated limb was initially altered, quantifying a 28-56% reduction of the ground reaction force, which gradually normalized during the consolidation phase. A faster recovery was reported in the bearing capacity, stiffening and bone mineral density of the callus. It acquired a predominant mechanical role over the fixator in the distribution of internal forces after one post-surgical month. CONCLUSION: The bioceramic scaffold significantly accelerated in vivo the bone formation compared to other traditional alternatives in the literature (e.g., distraction osteogenesis). In addition, the implemented assessment techniques allowed an accurate quantitative evaluation of the bone regeneration through mechanical and imaging parameters.

Gait analysis: An effective tool to mechanically monitor the bone regeneration of critical-sized defects in tissue engineering applications.

INTRODUCTION: Tissue engineering has emerged as an innovative approach to treat critical-size bone defects using biocompatible scaffolds, thus avoiding complex distraction surgeries or limited stock grafts. Continuous regeneration monitoring is essential in critical-size cases due to the frequent appearance of non-unions. This work evaluates the potential clinical use of gait analysis for the mechanical assessment of a tissue engineering regeneration as an alternative to the traditional and hardly conclusive manual or radiological follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 15-mm metatarsal fragment of eight female merino sheep was surgically replaced by a bioceramic scaffold stabilized with an external fixator. Gait tests were performed weekly by making the sheep walk on an instrumented gangway. The evolution of different kinematic and dynamic parameters was analyzed for all the animal's limbs, as well as asymmetries between limbs. Finally, potential correlation in the recovery of the gait parameters was evaluated through the linear regression models. RESULTS: After surgery, the operated limb has an altered way of carrying body weight while walking. Its loading capacity was significantly reduced as the stance phases were shorter and less impulsive. The non-operated limbs compensated for this mobility deficit. All parameters were normalizing during the consolidation phase while the bone callus was simultaneously mineralizing. The results also showed high levels of asymmetry between the operated limb and its contralateral, which exceeded 150% when analyzing the impulse after surgery. Gait recovery significantly correlated between symmetrical limbs. CONCLUSIONS: Gait analysis was presented as an effective, low-cost tool capable of mechanically predicting the regeneration of critical-size defects treated by tissue engineering, as comparing regeneration processes or novel scaffolds. Despite the progressive normalization as the callus mineralized, the bearing capacity reduction and the asymmetry of the operated limb were more significant than in other orthopedic alternatives.

Interaction between maintenance variables of medical ultrasound scanners through multifactor dimensionality reduction.

BACKGROUND: Proper maintenance of electro-medical devices is crucial for the quality of care to patients and the economic performance of healthcare organizations. This research aims to identify the interaction between Ultrasound scanners (US) maintenance variables as a function of maintenance indicators: US in service or decommissioned, excessive number of failures, and failure rate. Knowing those interactions, specific maintenance measures will be developed to improve the reliability of the US. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) method was eployed to analyze data from 222 US and their four-year maintenance history. Models were developed based on the variables with the greatest influence on maintenance indicators, where US were classified according to the associated risk. RESULTS: US with more than one major failure or at least one major component replacement had up to 496.4% more failures than the average. Failure rate increased by up to 188.7% over the average for those US with more than three moderate failures, three replacements, or both. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies and quantifies the causes of risk to establish a specific maintenance plan for US. It helps to better understand the degradation of US to optimize their operation and maintenance.

Identification of a triatomine infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in an urban area of the state of Veracruz, Mexico: A comprehensive study.

Chagas disease, considered a neglected disease, was initially confined to rural localities in endemic areas; however, in recent years through the process of urbanization and migration of infected people, the disease is gaining importance in urban environments. The presence of the vector in urban areas in most cases is due to the passive transport of vectors, but recently, its presence seems to be linked to vector adaptation processes associated with climate change. This paper reports the occurrence of an infected triatomine in the peridomicile of a house in an urban area of Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico, where the species found is described, the molecular characteristics and resistance to BZN and NFX of the Trypanosoma cruzi isolate obtained, as well as serological data of the dwelling inhabitants. These urban disease scenarios make it possible to generate new scientific knowledge and enable the creation of new control strategies for Chagas disease vectors.

Evolution of relaxation properties of callus tissue during bone transport.

Callus tissue exhibits a viscoelastic behavior that has a strong influence on the distribution of stresses and their evolution with time and, thus, it can affect tissue differentiation during distraction procedures. For this reason, a deep knowledge of that viscoelastic behavior can be very useful to improve current protocols of bone distraction and bone transport. Monitoring stress relaxation of the callus during distraction osteogenesis allows characterizing its viscoelastic behavior. Different procedures have been used in the literature to fit the response of a given viscoelastic model to the force relaxation curve. However, these procedures do not ensure the uniqueness of that fit, which is of the utmost importance for statistical purposes. This work uses a fitting procedure already validated for other tissues that ensures that uniqueness. Very importantly too, the procedure presented here allows obtaining more information from the stress relaxation tests, distinguishing relaxation in different time scales, which provides a deeper insight into the viscoelastic behavior and its evolution over time. As it was observed in the results, relaxation is faster at the first days after osteotomy and becomes slower and more gradual with time. This fact can be directly linked to the temporal evolution of the callus composition (water, organic phase, and mineral content) and also to the progression of tissue differentiation, with a prevalence of hard tissues as time passes.

Time-Dependent Collagen Fibered Structure in the Early Distraction Callus: Imaging Characterization and Mathematical Modeling.

Collagen is a ubiquitous protein present in regenerating bone tissues that experiences multiple biological phenomena during distraction osteogenesis until the deposition of phosphate crystals. This work combines fluorescence techniques and mathematical modeling to shed light on the mechano-structural processes behind the maturation and accommodation-to-mineralization of the callus tissue. Ovine metatarsal bone calluses were analyzed through confocal images at different stages of the early distraction osteogenesis process, quantifying the fiber orientation distribution and mean intensity as fiber density measure. Likewise, a mathematical model based on the experimental data was defined to micromechanically characterize the apparent stiffening of the tissue within the distracted callus. A reorganization of the fibers around the distraction axis and increased fiber density were found as the bone fragments were gradually separated. Given the degree of significance between the mathematical model and previous in vivo data, reorganization, densification, and bundle maturation phenomena seem to explain the apparent mechanical maturation observed in the tissue theoretically.

Mechanobiology of Bone Consolidation During Distraction Osteogenesis: Bone Lengthening Vs. Bone Transport.

Bone lengthening and bone transport are regeneration processes that commonly rely on distraction osteogenesis, a widely accepted surgical procedure to deal with numerous bony pathologies. Despite the extensive study in the literature of the influence of biomechanical factors, a lack of knowledge about their mechanobiological differences prevents a clinical particularization. Bone lengthening treatments were performed on sheep metatarsus by reproducing the surgical and biomechanical protocol of previous bone transport experiments. Several in vivo monitoring techniques were employed to build an exhaustive comparison: gait analysis, radiographic and CT assessment, force measures through the fixation, or mechanical characterization of the new tissue. A significant initial loss of the bearing capacity, quantified by the ground reaction forces and the limb contact time with the ground, is suffered by the bone lengthening specimens. The potential effects of this anomaly on the musculoskeletal force distribution and the evolution of the bone callus elastic modulus over time are also analyzed. Imaging techniques also seem to reveal lower bone volume in the bone lengthening callus than in the bone transport one, but an equivalent mineralization rate. The simultaneous quantification of biological and mechanical parameters provides valuable information for the daily clinical routine and numerical tools development.