Generality
Broken frenule is the name of the condition resulting from the laceration of the penis frenulum.
The typical symptoms of the broken frenulum are pain in the penis and loss of blood where the penile frenulum has suffered a laceration.
The broken frenulum heals spontaneously; therefore, no specific treatment is required.
A brief review of what the penis frenulum is
Also known as the frenulum of the foreskin of the penis or the frenulum of the penis, the frenulum of the penis is the thin band of elastic tissue which, in the male reproductive organ, connects the lower part of the glans to the foreskin .
Visible only when the penis is erect, the penis frenulum has a role in the sliding mechanics of the foreskin with respect to the glans and a role in sexual dynamics:
- As regards the first role, it limits the distension of the foreskin, when the penis goes into erection, and allows the correct sliding of the foreskin over the glans, when the penis returns flaccid;
- As for the second role, it is an area rich in nerve endings, which allow man to experience pleasure during sexual intercourse or to feel pain if his penis is subjected to violent maneuvers.
Figure (of the penis): Anatomy of the pen ; Glands and foreskin are, respectively, the head of the penis and the sliding skin fold, which covers part or all of the glans when the penis is flaccid.
What is the broken frenulum?
Broken frenulus is the expression of jargon indicating the breakage of the penile frenulum, ie the laceration of the band of elastic tissue that joins the lower part of the glans to the foreskin.
Short clarification
Although in the human body there are more frenuli (eg: the lingual frenulum, the upper labial frenum, etc.), the expression "broken frenulum" with a tacit reference to the penile frenulum is still considered correct and widely used, even among the components of the medical community, since, among the various types of frenulum existing, the one typically subject to lacerations is the frenulum of the penis.
Curiosity: anatomical meaning of "frenulum"
In anatomy, the term " frenulum " without any specification indicates a thin strip of tissue that fixes or limits the movement of some moving parts or parts of them.
Causes
In most cases, the broken frenulum is the result of one or a series of over-energetic sexual relationships; more rarely, it depends on repeated overly vigorous masturbation, a penile surgical procedure that failed to perfection or, finally, an accidental injury against the penis.
Risk factors of the broken frenulum
They are risk factors of the broken frenulum:
- Too energetic sexual activity;
- The presence of the so-called short frenulum. In medicine, the frenulum short indicates the anatomical anomaly for which the frenulum of the penis is shorter than the norm;
- The presence of a particularly thin frenulum;
- Accidental injuries to the penis;
- Penile surgery.
Symptoms and complications
The classic symptoms and signs of the broken frenulum are: pain in the penis and loss of blood where the laceration took place.
The magnitude of the symptomatology is all the more severe, the more serious is the laceration of the penis frenulum. In other words, pain in the penis is all the more understood, and blood loss is all the more conspicuous, the more important is the laceration on the penile frenulum.
Why does the broken frenulum cause pain?
The intense pain in the penis that characterizes the broken frenulum is linked to the considerable presence of sensitive nerve endings, at the level of the penile frenulum.
Why does the broken frenulum cause blood loss?
The broken frenulum is associated with blood loss, even when the laceration is modest, because the frenulum of the penis is a flap of tissue rich in blood vessels (ie highly vascularized).
Complications
The only noteworthy complication of the broken frenulum is linked to a wrong process of closure of the laceration, from which an anatomic and functional alteration of the penile frenulum can result (the sliding mechanism of the foreskin no longer occurs adequately).
The poor closure of a laceration of the penile frenulum represents a rare event, which makes the frenulum break an injury with a low risk of complications.
Diagnosis
The simple and quick visual examination of the penis is sufficient for the diagnosis of a broken frenulum.
The broken frenulum is such an obvious injury that it does not require the consultation of a doctor for its correct identification.
Therapy
The presence of the broken frenulum does not require any specific therapy, as the lacerations of the penile frenulum heal spontaneously through the same healing process to which the most normal skin wounds are subjected.
The only caution the patient must have, in the period of healing of the laceration, is to abstain from sexual activity and masturbation, in order to avoid relapses or a slower recovery than expected.
Healing from the frenulum rupture is spontaneous, ie it does not require any specific therapy.
Healing times
The healing time of a broken frenulum varies in relation to the severity of the laceration: normally, the healing of the slightest lacerations can take place in a maximum time of 2 weeks, while the closure of the most serious lacerations can take up to a month.
Does not abstention from sexual activity have serious consequences?
Failure to comply with abstinence from sexual activity and masturbation has no serious consequences, other than to promote a relapse and slow down the healing process.
As can be guessed, slower than normal relapses or healing processes prolong the presence of pain symptoms and blood loss from the laceration site.
What happens if the healing process is abnormal? The frenuloplasty
As stated in the section dedicated to complications, it can sometimes happen that the healing of the broken frenulum takes place according to an incorrect healing process, such that the frenulum of the penis undergoes an alteration under the anatomical and functional profile.
The incorrect closure of a laceration of the penile frenulum, followed by a profound alteration of the anatomy and functionality of the latter, requires the use of frenuloplasty, that is, a surgical intervention for the remodeling of the penile frenulum when the latter presents anomalies.
During sexual intercourse, a penile frenulum altered under the anatomical and functional aspects can be a source of pain, sometimes even very intense.
frenuloplasty
Performed under local (more often) or general (more rarely) anesthesia, frenuloplasty involves a very particular incision of the penile frenulum, which allows the latter to regain its normal anatomy or something very similar.
Duration of 15-30 minutes (the complexity of the remodeling affects the duration), frenuloplasty is a safe and effective intervention, ie it is at low risk of complications and almost always guarantees the desired results.
For the complete recovery from the frenuloplasty operations, it is necessary to wait at most 6 weeks; during this time, patients must strictly abstain from sexual activity and masturbation, avoid intense physical efforts and apply special ointments to the operated area that favor the healing process.
Prognosis
The prognosis in cases of broken frenulum is generally excellent, provided that the patient, during the phase of healing of the laceration, respects abstention from sexual activity and from alternative practices to the latter.
As anticipated, the incorrect closure of a laceration of the penile frenulum and the consequent anatomical and functional alteration of the latter are two very infrequent phenomena.
Prevention
Undoubtedly, the most important preventive measure against the broken frenulum is to avoid too energetic sexual relationships and too vigorous masturbation.
