Why prosthetic limbs need not look like real ones

In a photoshoot Kelly Knox—a British model and disability-rights advocate—poses with a prosthetic limb unlike any other. Ms Knox was born with her left arm missing from the elbow down. From the point her arm terminates, dozens of vertebrae-like structures extend to form a long, sinuous tentacle.

The limb is certainly striking. It is dextrous, too. Ms Knox can control its movements via pressure sensors in her shoes, which connect to the limb wirelessly. Artificial tendons can tighten or loosen, allowing the tentacle to reach and grasp. The limb—detached from Ms Knox and titled VINE 2.0—is due to go on display at “BODIES…The Exhibition” at the Luxor, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, later this year.