Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomySymptomsCausesWhen to Seek CareDiagnosisTreatmentRecoveryPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Symptoms
Causes
When to Seek Care
Diagnosis
Treatment
Recovery
Prognosis
A penile fracture, sometimes called a “broken penis,” is not due to a broken bone. Rather, it is the rupture of two structures of the penis responsible forerections: two spongy columns of tissues (calledcorpora cavernosa) and the tough sheath surrounding them (called thetunica albuginea).
A penile fracture is rare, mostly affecting middle-aged males during sexual intercourse or aggressive masturbation. Penile fractures can also be the result of a non-sexual injury to an erect penis.
A penile fracture is a medical emergency that causes extreme pain, swelling, and bruising along with a popping sound. Surgery is the main form of treatment to repair the ruptured tissues and reduce the risk of complications (includingerectile dysfunctionandPeyronie’sdisease).
This article describes the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of penile fractures, including the possible complications of a “broken penis.”
OcusFocus / istockphoto
Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyPenile fractures affect people born with a penis, who are typically assigned male at birth.Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “male" and “female” as the sources use them.
Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Penile fractures affect people born with a penis, who are typically assigned male at birth.Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “male" and “female” as the sources use them.
Penile fractures affect people born with a penis, who are typically assigned male at birth.
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “male" and “female” as the sources use them.
Anatomy of an Erection
An erection involves a complex series of emotional and physiological responses that cause tissues in the shaft of the penis to engorge with blood.
The structures inside the penis involved in an erection are called:
What Are the Symptoms of a Penile Fracture?
When a penis is soft (flaccid), the tunica albuginea is resistant to tears or injury. Even during an erection, the fibers are usually tough and flexible enough to sustain significant impact or flexure (bending) without injury.
However, with excessive force, the tunica albuginea can rupture either partially (tearing one layer) or completely (tearing both).
Symptoms of a penile fracture include:
A penile fracture can also damage the dorsal nerve that runs along the outer surface of the tunica albuginea. The nerve provides sensations to the penis essential tosexual arousaland erection.
What Is an “Eggplant Deformity?“An “eggplant deformity” is a term used to describe the characteristics of a penile fracture. The condtion is so-named because of the purplish discoloration and extreme swelling of the penis after a fracture. The swollen penis will also bend at the site of the tear, causing a curve resembling that of an eggplant.
What Is an “Eggplant Deformity?”
An “eggplant deformity” is a term used to describe the characteristics of a penile fracture. The condtion is so-named because of the purplish discoloration and extreme swelling of the penis after a fracture. The swollen penis will also bend at the site of the tear, causing a curve resembling that of an eggplant.
What Causes a Penile Fracture?
Penile fracture is a rare condition affecting one of every 175,000 people with penises in the United States annually. Most occur in sexually active males between the ages of 30 and 50.
In both cases, penile fractures are more likely when the receptive partner is “on top” or the couple is in the “doggy position. Certain sexual positions can also cause the penis to bend abnormally while entering the partner from an acute angle.
However, sexual intercourse is not the sole cause of a penile fracture. A 2015 study in theSexual Medicine Reviewidentified four situations in which penile fractures commonly occurred:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
A penile fracture is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment. However, some cases are less severe than others and may not present with “classic” symptoms.
How Is a Penile Fracture Diagnosed?
Three imaging tools can be used for this:
In addition to imaging, aurinalysismay be used to check for signs of blood in your urine. Even if blood cannot be visibly seen, a urinalysis may be able to detect microscopic hematuria. This, in turn, could change or expand the scope of treatment.
How is a Penile Fracture Treated?
Penile fractures are medical emergencies typically requiring surgery. The aim of the surgery is fourfold:
Even in the absence of a positive ultrasound, MRI, or cavernosography, surgery may still be pursued due to the risk of an untreated fracture.
Before undergoing surgery, cold compresses, pressure dressings, andnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)may be used to limit tissue damage.
In addition to the surgical repair of the tunica albuginea, urethral reconstruction may performed. The surgery may be performed undergeneral anesthesiaorregional anesthesia(a “spinal block”).
Recovery Time After Treatment
Recovery time varies based on the severity of the fracture and the surgical procedure. Barring complications, hospitalization times run one to three days.
During recovery, it is not uncommon to have blood in your urine, particularly if a urethral repair was performed. In such cases, you may need aurinary catheterfor a short period until the bleeding subsides and urination normalizes.
Pain may be controlled withTylenol (acetaminophen)and acold compress.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)likeAdvil (ibuprofen)should only be used if your surgeon gives you their OK as this class of drugs promotes bleeding.
Depending on the extent of the surgery and the severity of the injury, most people can return to work and normal activity within two weeks. However, sexual intercourse should be avoided for around six weeks and should only be restarted once the pain, redness, and bruising fully resolve.
Immediate surgical repair is the standard treatment for penile fracture. A 2016 review of studies reported that men who undergo penile fracture repair are significantly less likely to have long-term problems than those who are managed conservatively.
The reported rate of complications following penile fracture surgery is as follows:
By contrast, of those who were treated conservatively, 22% experienced ED while 13% experienced PD.
There remains debate as to whether surgery needs to happen immediately or if it can be delayed up to 24 hours.Many experts recommend immediate treatment out of the utmost caution, particularly if there is urinary retention or urethral damage.
Summary
A penile fracture is the rupture of the tough membrane that surrounds the spongy columns of tissues inside the penis, called the corpus cavernosa. A fracture most often occurs during sexual intercourse but can also occur with vigorous masturbation or a non-sexual injury of an erect penis.
Symptoms of a penile fracture include pain, swelling, and purplish discoloration of the penis (called an “eggplant deformity”). Penile fractures are diagnosed with a physical exam and imaging studies. Surgery is the primary form of treatment to repair the injury and avoid complications like erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, or penile deformity.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Amer T, Wilson R, Chlosta P, et al.Penile fracture: a meta-analysis.Urol Int. 2016;96(3):315-29. doi:10.1159/000444884Tamhankar AS, Pawar PW, Sawant AS, et al.Fractured penis: not so rare!Urol Int.2017;99(1):63-68. doi:10.1159/000458448Van Driel MF.Physiology of penile erection—a brief history of the scientific understanding up till the eighties of the 20th century.Sex Med.2015 Dec;3(4):349–357. doi:10.1002/sm2.89Simms A, Baradaran N, Lue TF, Breyer BN.Penile fractures: evaluation and management.Urol Clin North Am.2021 Nov;48(4):557-563 doi:10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.011Imran M, Kamran A, Tanveer A, Ali Farhoc M.Penile fracture: a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep.2023 Sep;110:108749. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108749Yogi P, Sapkota S, Shiwakoti S, Congol UMS, Paudyal P, Karki A.Penile fracture: a case report.JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc.2022 Oct;60(254):895–897. doi:10.31729/jnma.7876Barros R, Lacerda G, Schul A, Ornellas P, Koifman L, Favorito LA,Sexual complications of penile fracture in men who have sex with men.Int Braz J Urol.2018 May-Jun;44(3):550–554. doi:10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0520Christian-Miller N, Lenis AT, Fero KE, et al.Risk factors for penile fracture compared with a surgical control cohort in the United States: the role of substance abuse.Asian J Androl.2021 May-Jun;23(3):236–239. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_70_20Truong H, Ferenczi B, Cleary R, Healy KA.Superficial dorsal venous rupture of the penis: false penile fracture that needs to be treated as a true urologic emergency.Urology. 2016 Nov;97:e21-e22. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2016.08.030Zare Mehrjardi M, Darabi M, Bagheri SM, Kamali K, Bijan B.The role of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in penile fracture mapping for modified surgical repair.Int Urol Nephrol. 2017 Jun;49(6):937-945. doi:10.1007/s11255-017-1550-xSidhom K, Chung D, Patel P.Case series – tolerability of penile fracture repair under conscious sedation.Can Urol Assoc J.2023 Jul;17(7):E218–E220. doi:10.5489/cuaj.8274Ory J, Bailly G,Management of penile fracture.Can Urol Assoc J.2019 Jun:13(6_Suppl 4):S72-S74. doi:10.5489/cuaj.5932
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Amer T, Wilson R, Chlosta P, et al.Penile fracture: a meta-analysis.Urol Int. 2016;96(3):315-29. doi:10.1159/000444884Tamhankar AS, Pawar PW, Sawant AS, et al.Fractured penis: not so rare!Urol Int.2017;99(1):63-68. doi:10.1159/000458448Van Driel MF.Physiology of penile erection—a brief history of the scientific understanding up till the eighties of the 20th century.Sex Med.2015 Dec;3(4):349–357. doi:10.1002/sm2.89Simms A, Baradaran N, Lue TF, Breyer BN.Penile fractures: evaluation and management.Urol Clin North Am.2021 Nov;48(4):557-563 doi:10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.011Imran M, Kamran A, Tanveer A, Ali Farhoc M.Penile fracture: a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep.2023 Sep;110:108749. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108749Yogi P, Sapkota S, Shiwakoti S, Congol UMS, Paudyal P, Karki A.Penile fracture: a case report.JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc.2022 Oct;60(254):895–897. doi:10.31729/jnma.7876Barros R, Lacerda G, Schul A, Ornellas P, Koifman L, Favorito LA,Sexual complications of penile fracture in men who have sex with men.Int Braz J Urol.2018 May-Jun;44(3):550–554. doi:10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0520Christian-Miller N, Lenis AT, Fero KE, et al.Risk factors for penile fracture compared with a surgical control cohort in the United States: the role of substance abuse.Asian J Androl.2021 May-Jun;23(3):236–239. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_70_20Truong H, Ferenczi B, Cleary R, Healy KA.Superficial dorsal venous rupture of the penis: false penile fracture that needs to be treated as a true urologic emergency.Urology. 2016 Nov;97:e21-e22. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2016.08.030Zare Mehrjardi M, Darabi M, Bagheri SM, Kamali K, Bijan B.The role of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in penile fracture mapping for modified surgical repair.Int Urol Nephrol. 2017 Jun;49(6):937-945. doi:10.1007/s11255-017-1550-xSidhom K, Chung D, Patel P.Case series – tolerability of penile fracture repair under conscious sedation.Can Urol Assoc J.2023 Jul;17(7):E218–E220. doi:10.5489/cuaj.8274Ory J, Bailly G,Management of penile fracture.Can Urol Assoc J.2019 Jun:13(6_Suppl 4):S72-S74. doi:10.5489/cuaj.5932
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Amer T, Wilson R, Chlosta P, et al.Penile fracture: a meta-analysis.Urol Int. 2016;96(3):315-29. doi:10.1159/000444884Tamhankar AS, Pawar PW, Sawant AS, et al.Fractured penis: not so rare!Urol Int.2017;99(1):63-68. doi:10.1159/000458448Van Driel MF.Physiology of penile erection—a brief history of the scientific understanding up till the eighties of the 20th century.Sex Med.2015 Dec;3(4):349–357. doi:10.1002/sm2.89Simms A, Baradaran N, Lue TF, Breyer BN.Penile fractures: evaluation and management.Urol Clin North Am.2021 Nov;48(4):557-563 doi:10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.011Imran M, Kamran A, Tanveer A, Ali Farhoc M.Penile fracture: a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep.2023 Sep;110:108749. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108749Yogi P, Sapkota S, Shiwakoti S, Congol UMS, Paudyal P, Karki A.Penile fracture: a case report.JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc.2022 Oct;60(254):895–897. doi:10.31729/jnma.7876Barros R, Lacerda G, Schul A, Ornellas P, Koifman L, Favorito LA,Sexual complications of penile fracture in men who have sex with men.Int Braz J Urol.2018 May-Jun;44(3):550–554. doi:10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0520Christian-Miller N, Lenis AT, Fero KE, et al.Risk factors for penile fracture compared with a surgical control cohort in the United States: the role of substance abuse.Asian J Androl.2021 May-Jun;23(3):236–239. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_70_20Truong H, Ferenczi B, Cleary R, Healy KA.Superficial dorsal venous rupture of the penis: false penile fracture that needs to be treated as a true urologic emergency.Urology. 2016 Nov;97:e21-e22. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2016.08.030Zare Mehrjardi M, Darabi M, Bagheri SM, Kamali K, Bijan B.The role of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in penile fracture mapping for modified surgical repair.Int Urol Nephrol. 2017 Jun;49(6):937-945. doi:10.1007/s11255-017-1550-xSidhom K, Chung D, Patel P.Case series – tolerability of penile fracture repair under conscious sedation.Can Urol Assoc J.2023 Jul;17(7):E218–E220. doi:10.5489/cuaj.8274Ory J, Bailly G,Management of penile fracture.Can Urol Assoc J.2019 Jun:13(6_Suppl 4):S72-S74. doi:10.5489/cuaj.5932
Amer T, Wilson R, Chlosta P, et al.Penile fracture: a meta-analysis.Urol Int. 2016;96(3):315-29. doi:10.1159/000444884
Tamhankar AS, Pawar PW, Sawant AS, et al.Fractured penis: not so rare!Urol Int.2017;99(1):63-68. doi:10.1159/000458448
Van Driel MF.Physiology of penile erection—a brief history of the scientific understanding up till the eighties of the 20th century.Sex Med.2015 Dec;3(4):349–357. doi:10.1002/sm2.89
Simms A, Baradaran N, Lue TF, Breyer BN.Penile fractures: evaluation and management.Urol Clin North Am.2021 Nov;48(4):557-563 doi:10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.011
Imran M, Kamran A, Tanveer A, Ali Farhoc M.Penile fracture: a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep.2023 Sep;110:108749. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108749
Yogi P, Sapkota S, Shiwakoti S, Congol UMS, Paudyal P, Karki A.Penile fracture: a case report.JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc.2022 Oct;60(254):895–897. doi:10.31729/jnma.7876
Barros R, Lacerda G, Schul A, Ornellas P, Koifman L, Favorito LA,Sexual complications of penile fracture in men who have sex with men.Int Braz J Urol.2018 May-Jun;44(3):550–554. doi:10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0520
Christian-Miller N, Lenis AT, Fero KE, et al.Risk factors for penile fracture compared with a surgical control cohort in the United States: the role of substance abuse.Asian J Androl.2021 May-Jun;23(3):236–239. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_70_20
Truong H, Ferenczi B, Cleary R, Healy KA.Superficial dorsal venous rupture of the penis: false penile fracture that needs to be treated as a true urologic emergency.Urology. 2016 Nov;97:e21-e22. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2016.08.030
Zare Mehrjardi M, Darabi M, Bagheri SM, Kamali K, Bijan B.The role of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in penile fracture mapping for modified surgical repair.Int Urol Nephrol. 2017 Jun;49(6):937-945. doi:10.1007/s11255-017-1550-x
Sidhom K, Chung D, Patel P.Case series – tolerability of penile fracture repair under conscious sedation.Can Urol Assoc J.2023 Jul;17(7):E218–E220. doi:10.5489/cuaj.8274
Ory J, Bailly G,Management of penile fracture.Can Urol Assoc J.2019 Jun:13(6_Suppl 4):S72-S74. doi:10.5489/cuaj.5932
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