Abstract This article surveys the many facets that affect the ability of an upper-limb prosthesis to impact a person’s daily life. These can broadly be thought of in four domains: facets intrinsic to the person; factors centered on the design, control, and sensory feedback of the prosthesis; facets extrinsic to the person; and outcome measures used to assess devices, activities, or quality of life. The article surveys the current state of the art in each area along with trends and future potential to match the gold standard of intact arms.