German Company, Stamos and Braun Prothesenwerk, Create Lifelike Prosthetic Limbs: Can You Spot The Real From The Fake?

A German company has created unique lifelike prosthetic limbs that look so authentic you probably won’t be able to spot the real from the fake.

The company, Stamos and Braun Prothesenwerk, describe on their website that their silicone prostheses are small works of art. Each prosthetic is individually matched with natural shape and color design. The company creates everything from arms to legs to breasts, and more.

The prosthetic limbs are individually crafted and can include natural features like body hair, wrinkles, and veins, as well as unnatural features like acrylic nails and tattoos. The nails are made from the same material used in nail salons, so people can paint them.

Christoph Braunstamos of Stamos and Braun Prothesenwerk admits that the realistic-looking appendages don’t function as well as prosthetics with built-in bionics, but the fingers are flexible enough for someone to play the piano. The artificial arms and feet can also perform basic tasks, Braunstamos told ABC News. People who are in need of prosthetic limbs are those who lost all or part of an arm or leg for a number of reasons. Common reasons include circulation problems from diabetes that may cause you to need an amputation, traumatic injuries, cancer, or birth defects.

Each prosthetic from Stamos and Braun Prothesenwerk costs between $2,500 and $8,500, depending on the size, level of customization, and the time it will take to create. However, in Europe, where most of them are sold, the majority of the cost is picked up by insurance, Braunstamos told ABC.

The prosthetics are designed by Alex Stamos and Christoph Braun. Stamos began working with silicone 14 years ago, and Braun began five years ago, the Daily Mail reported.

“We like to give a good feeling to the patients. It is bad enough that they have lost something,” Braun told the Daily Mail. “So if we are able to make them happy with something cool, it feels good to everybody.”