A new report into penile fractures has documented how a 40-year-old British man became the first patient in the world to break his penis vertically.
The report, titled Atypical Presentation of a Vertical Penile Fracture, was published in the British Medical Journal in June.
The researchers said a vertical penile fracture occurs when an erect penis is subjected to an abnormal 'bending' force, resulting in a tear.
"In turn, we present the first documented case of a vertical penile fracture, confirmed on MRI, sustained by a 40-year-old man during sexual intercourse.
"The patient reported that his penis buckled against his partner's perineum. Interestingly, he described a gradual detumescence, with moderate swelling but no 'popping' sensation."
An MRI confirmed the broken penis and that it had a 3cm vertical tear.
However, the patient was able to recover.
"Reassuringly however, this patient was able to resume sexual activity within six months of the injury, achieving erections of the same quality to those prior to the injury, denying any penile curvature or significant palpable scarring."
