It does not require a major effort of the imagination to understand that the loss of a limb causes deep emotional trauma. Apart from the obvious difficulties with mobility and self-care, the disturbance in body image requires significant emotional readjustment. In fact, the grief reaction following loss of a limb has been very convincingly compared with that following the loss of a spouse.

Traditional prosthesis have been primarily to restore function with little emphasis on the aesthetic appearance. The first objective of the aesthetic prosthesis is to restore the appearance of the injured limb sufficiently to eliminate, to a high degree, the stigma associated with the disfigurement. Without close examination, ARTech's natural looking restorations are virtually undetectable.

ARTech silicone prostheses are also functional. They can improve the gait and posture, ease lower back pain, relieve pressure on bone spurs and other sensitive areas, protect the tissue from further injury, improve the operation of myoelectric hands, etc. In allowing use of an injured limb that the amputee considers too repulsive to expose and use, the prosthesis may well improve overall function. When a restoration has a natural appearance, sculpted and painted to match the opposite limb, as opposed to the robotic or mannequin look of traditional prostheses, utilization by the patient is maximized. This enhanced usability may well be one of the most important functions of all.