In some parts of Asia, short stature constitues a significant handicap in the business world and can interfere with obtaining many jobs ranging from government service postions to airline flight attendants. While an operation known as cosmetic leg lengthening has been devised, it is mentioned here only to be condemned for purely elective use.

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Basically, the operation entails breaking the normal leg bones, piercing them with steel pins, and screwing the pins into a metal frame.

The legs are lengthened by gradually turning the screws to pull the bones apart, not unlike being tortured by stretching on a rack. The process takes months while healing takes years.

Results can range from acceptable to disastrous, and the surgery, performed almost exclusively in China, is now regulated by the government.