What Is Frenulum Breve?

Introduction
Frenulum breve is the condition in which the frenulum is short and restricts the movement of the foreskin. The frenulum should normally be sufficiently long enough to allow for the full retraction of the foreskin behind the glans when fully erect. The short frenulum can also pull the glans downwards as soon as retraction begins. The frenulum is comparable to the small band between the tongue's lower surface and the lower jaw.

The frenulum (the connective tissue which rises in the "V" shaped space where the two sides of the glans of the penis join, and runs along the shaft and the inner surface of the foreskin) and its surrounding tissue are the most sensitive parts of the penis. Some frenulums are too short to allow full retraction of the foreskin without pain, and this condition is known as Frenulum Breve (Latin - frenulum, a 'little bridle' and breve, 'short').

Men who experience this condition report anything from slight discomfort to actual tearing of the frenulum accompanied by great pain and bleeding. Very few men experience problems due to this condition before becoming sexually active for, as with phimosis, a man with frenulum breve learns to masturbate in a manner which does not hurt him. Often, pain and/or bleeding during the first sexual intercourse will be the first indication there is a problem.

Because the frenulum of men with this condition encourages the foreskin to remain covering the glans, and sex pushes the foreskin back, there can be a great deal of discomfort as the sensitive tissues are forced in different directions. The use of condoms increases this set of contradictory stresses and makes matters even more painful.

If the frenulum rips it can either heal back together (more likely with a thicker frenulum) which is likely to exacerbate the problem by causing scar tissue (which is not elastic), or the ends of the torn flesh can heal back onto the shaft of the penis, which may alleviate the problem almost entirely. While a frenulum tear is healing it is not a good idea to share sex, as any scab formed can be knocked off inside the vagina.

Many men who suffer from frenulum breve do not realise they have a condition which can be treated simply and with minimal danger, but simply choose sexual techniques which minimise their discomfort. Sometimes the condition is managed for years like this, and only if there is a tear large enough to cause frightening bleeding will the man go to visit a doctor.

The correction of this condition is simple. The doctor examines the frenulum to discover the best place and makes a small incision in the frenulum, and afterwards treats this incision in such a way as to minimise scarring and increase the ability of the foreskin to retract normally.

If stretching the frenulum fails, as it usually does, it can be freed by a minor operation called a Frenuloplasty. This can usually be performed under a local anaesthetic.

If stretching the frenulum fails, as it usually does, it can be freed by a minor operation called a Frenuloplasty. This can usually be performed under a local anaesthetic.