Can we regrow a human arm? A negative perspective from an upper-limb surgeon.

If we would like to devote time and money to the task of regrowing a human arm, we should feel free to do it, in principle. However, if we recognize a purpose in biomedical research, we must scrutinize this task in the light of a possible clinical application. We will then discover that regrowing a human arm is not only likely to be not possible, but also not required in the clinic. Bionic arms and better reconstructive surgery already provide a different, simpler and easier solution to the loss of a human arm, and should be promoted. Probably, ‘‘can we regrow a human arm?’’ is not the right question. Instead, we should ask, ‘‘can we restore the function of a lost human arm?’’.