Creativity and Prosthetic Devices

For some people who have lost part of an upper limb in a traumatic manner, being able to bring a little joy back can be healing. For people who have a congenital limb difference, showcasing something creative can be a way to let others know that they are comfortable with their difference. Our Arm Dynamics clinical team has helped many patients use their prosthetic limb as a canvas to make some very fun alterations.

We’ll start with our patient Henry. Henry requested that we embed Infinity Stones into his prosthesis so that he could wield The Infinity Gauntlet, one of the most important objects from “The Avengers” universe. Always up for the challenge, our Southwest Center team did a great job of sourcing out the necessary pieces to put this puzzle together. We may or may not have had to develop a time machine to get the stones ….

Our patient, Angel Giuffria, loves to cosplay.

pic.twitter.com/vKoq9k01E6

— Angel Giuffria (@aannggeellll) November 2, 2020

She worked with our Dallas center to make an Allels cover for her upper limb prosthetic, which is featured in the picture where she is dressed up like Alita, Battle Angel.

For people who are planning on getting a passive silicone restoration, we are able to add tattoos to prostheses — so if you want your prosthesis to look just like you remember it, or if you’ve always wanted a tattoo but didn’t want to go through with the commitment, this may be your opportunity:

Maybe cosplay isn’t your thing, and maybe you’re not interested in tattoos … but you might be a sports fan! We have a lot of requests to help make our patient’s prosthesis represent their favorite team. In the below photo, you can see the result of a request to for a Michael Jordan-themed prosthesis:

Or maybe you’re a Texas Longhorns fan …

Here, our patient asked for their sports team with a light incorporated into the frame:

This person asked for their favorite motorcycle manufacturer:

Or maybe you’d like something even more personal displayed on your prostheses. Jason Koger has pictures of his kids displayed on his arms.

Speaking of kids, we also create devices that will help kids adjust to and use their devices. Kanoa's was made entirely of silicone. You can see him using it in this video.

Can't get enough? We have two more articles that feature prostheses with creative designs: Personalized Prostheses and Prosthesis Showcase.

We always love to hear our patient's ideas and will do whatever we can to help make those ideas a reality. We’ve heard all kinds of requests in our over 20 years in the business. You might be able to surprise us, but we’re always up for a challenge! Please contact us to tell us what you’ve been dreaming of.

Does your prosthesis show some of your personality? Let us know in the comments below and we might just see if we can feature you in a future blog post, if you like!

For more information, see related articles here:

• An Introduction to Passive Silicone Restorations
• Using Customization to Maximize Comfort and Function: Abe's Story
• Custom Silicone Sockets: The Ultimate in Comfort and Control for Prosthetic Arms
• Rock On! Being a Musician with a Limb Difference
• Personalized Prostheses