A 40-year-old man broke his penis vertically after it ‘buckled’ during sex, doctors have said.
He suffered a 3cm tear on the right side of his member, around the middle, and was in urgent need of surgery.
Experts believe this is the first case of its kind, as all previous instances of penile fracture have been horizontal.
Doctors are advised to operate on fractured penises within 24 hours to prevent complications, including permanent erectile dysfunction or a lifetime of painful sex.
The man, who is believed to be from York, underwent successful surgery and is now able to have sex again, six months on from the injury.
In his case, the man’s penis ‘buckled against his partner’s perineum’ – the area between the genitals and anus.
While there are no bones in the penis, it can still feel like its breaking following a blunt trauma.
The organ can buckle and bend under too much pressure, causing blood to leak out.
Doctors, who shared their findings in the British Medical Journal, said no ‘popping sound’ was heard, which happens during horizontal fractures.
Another common symptom is the skin of the penis rolling, which didn’t happen in this case.
Usually the penis goes soft immediately after a fracture, but the man’s erection faded gradually.
Doctors didn’t say what position the patient was in, but these sorts of injuries most commonly occur during ‘man on top’ or ‘doggy style’ positions.
According to Ross Asdourian, author of Broken Bananah: Life, Love, and Sex… Without a Penis, cowgirl position is also a particularly risky one.
Medics said the case raises questions as to whether or not a vertical fracture will ‘alter either the presentation or long-term outcomes following operative repair’.
They added: ‘This patient was able to resume sexual activity within 6 months of the injury, achieving erections of the same quality to those prior to the injury, denying any penile curvature or significant palpable scarring.’
Since 1924, 1,600 cases of penis fractures have been recorded across the world – roughly 16 instances per year.
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