Penile fracture

Colloquially, we speak of a penile fracture or a fracture of the penis when one of the erectile tissue of the member is injured. The erectile tissue itself, or the protective membrane surrounding it, can tear. In technical language, however, this is called a penile rupture (from the Latin ruptura for tearing, overstretching). This is because the male member, unlike many other mammals, has no bone on the inside. Therefore, the penis cannot really break in the conventional sense. Nevertheless, a penis rupture is extremely painful and is usually accompanied by noticeable haematoma (bruising). It can take several weeks to heal, and the bruises often take three or more months to heal completely. Most often, penile rupture occurs during sexual intercourse. In rare cases, however, men can injure the erectile tissue themselves, for example if they masturbate too roughly. However, penile rupture can only occur when the penis is erect. This is when the penis, which is filled with blood, is severely bent or compressed, which can happen, for example, when the penis is thrust too hard during sex. Incidentally, this nasty mishap happens most often in the riding position. To avoid complications in the healing process and late consequences, immediate surgery is advisable in most cases. This can effectively prevent lasting problems such as a narrowing of the urethra, a curvature of the penis or later erectile dysfunction.