A prosthetic device is controlled based on measured electrical signals corresponding to muscle activity in a lower-extremity anatomical analog to a dysfunctional or absent portion of an upper extremity of an individual. In particular, an activity monitoring device measures electrical signals corresponding to muscle activity in the lower-extremity anatomical analog. Then, a communication device communicates information specifying the electrical signals to a pattern-recognition device. The pattern-recognition device identifies a natural mode of movement of the lower-extremity anatomical analog based on the information. For example, the natural mode of movement may be identified using a pattern-recognition technique. Next, the pattern-recognition device provides a control signal to a prosthetic device associated with the dysfunctional or absent portion of the upper extremity, where the control signal specifies a natural mode of movement of the prosthetic device that is an analog to the natural mode of movement of the lower-extremity anatomical analog.
