PENIS FRACTURE IS REAL AND SURPRISINGLY COMMON

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Lehmiller and Dr. Laurie Mintz. Dr. Lehmiller is a social psychologist, researcher and award-winning educator. Dr. Laurie Mintz is a professor, researcher, private practitioner and Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

How can you fracture something that has no bone? It may sound like a riddle, but we are here to explain just that. The penis is made of spongy tissue, blood vessels, and nerves, yet it can still get “fractured.” I won’t deny that a broken dick might invite a lot of joking, but it is no joking matter. A penis fracture is an uncommon but serious medical issue. It is in everyone’s best interest to prevent it.

MIROSLAV ZEC, DR. LAURIE MINTZ AND DR. JUSTIN LEHMILLER·JUNE 23, 2024

3 MINS READ

Boneless Boners

You probably already know humans have no bone in their penis (although many animals actually do!), but what might come as a surprise is that it is an anomaly and a real mystery that we still don’t quite understand. A penis bone, called the baculum, is actually present in many species of mammals, including some of our closer primate relatives, such as great apes and chimpanzees. So why don’t humans have one? To understand why, we would need to know the purpose of the baculum to begin with, and that’s where the problems start.

It might have something to do with sexual competition and mating strategies, because species that are more competitive tend to have bigger penis bones. Yet every heterosexual guy who’s ever been in a nightclub with a low female count can attest that humans do not lack sexually competitive environments. It is possible that instead of the baculum, we developed other adaptations to mating competition, because our boneless members tend to be relatively large in comparison to our close relatives.

Before we explain how a penis fracture occurs, let’s start with some basic anatomy. Getting a “boner” (without an actual bone, of course) comes from our penises filling with blood.

However, it is also possible that the penis bone simply disappeared in the course of human evolution because it wasn’t an adaptive trait. After all, a broken penis bone is something that would make sexual reproduction difficult

What’s an Erection?

How Can You Fracture an Erect Penis?

If an engorged penis is bent suddenly or forcefully, the trauma can rupture the outer lining of one of the erectile cylinders. This can result in a penis fracture.

What Type of Trauma Causes This?

The trauma is most often a byproduct of high-velocity sexual intercourse, such as when the penis slips out of the vagina or anus and is accidentally thrust into a partner’s pelvic bone or perineum.

It’s a Medical Emergency!

A penis that has been fractured will bulge and appear purple. Other signs and symptoms of a penis fracture include:

Immediate penile pain

A popping or cracking sound

Rapid loss of erection

Swelling in the penile shaft

Discoloration of the penile shaft due to bleeding underneath the skin

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