Friday, April 3, 2009

Penile Fracture- Painful and definitely not fun part 4

The penis is not a bone and so most people are surprised to hear that a male can develop a penile fracture. Penile fractures are not common in medicine and only a few cases are reported each year.

For those individuals who cannot imagine a penis fracturing, it is very similar to a car tire. When a fully inflated car tire has a puncture, the tire goes flat- this is very similar to a penile fracture- except that instead of air, blood leak out

The penis is made up of muscle. The muscle is enclosed in a very strong sheath, known as the tunica. The tunica maintains rigidity in the penile muscles during an erection. During an erection, the tunica is stretched and becomes thin. The tunica is a a tough substance and does not easily tear. However, sometimes there is excessive force of torque on the penis and fracture results. The tunica develops a tear which results in blood leaking out