Urethral Rupture at Apex of the Prostate

Rupture of the urethra at the apex of the prostate is usually seen as one of the less common complications of fracture of the pelvis and therefore may not be cared for in its early stages by a urologist. It is not of frequent occurrence, but the consequences of incomplete, improper, or delayed treatment are so troublesome and incapacitating that its importance is worth emphasizing. It is most often due to sudden displacement of the bladder and prostate or the triangular ligament, causing rupture of the urethra at its most vulnerable and weakest point. It may be caused by hemorrhage, the accumulated blood pushing the bladder and prostate upward, thus stretching and drawing the membranous urethra out into an unsupported tube, with (frequently) eventual rupture or erosion. It is rarely if ever caused by actual shearing by bone fragments. We have never seen such a case. It is difficult to