How long does penile traction therapy take to see measurable curvature improvement?

1. What the randomized trials actually measured — and when

A randomized, single‑blind trial of the RestoreX device enrolled 110 men and compared 30–90 minutes/day of PTT to no therapy for 3 months; at that 3‑month primary endpoint the PTT arm showed significant curvature improvement (mean change −11.7° vs +1.3° in controls) and length gains, demonstrating measurable improvement within 3 months of consistent daily use ^[1]. Open‑label follow‑up and other prospective studies collected objective measurements at baseline, 3 months and 6 months, indicating the 3‑month mark is the earliest consistent trial endpoint reported ^{[4] [3]}.

2. How much daily wear‑time matters (and the evolving device story)

Older studies of extenders often required several hours per day to see change; the RestoreX randomized trial used substantially less—30 to 90 minutes daily—and still detected benefit at 3 months ^[1]. Observational data and narrative reviews note that many earlier devices needed longer daily use to show effects, and that total daily duration correlates with length improvement in some studies ^{[5] [6]}.

3. Trajectory after 3 months — gains continue for some men

Several prospective and nonrandomized reports measured further improvement at 6 and 9 months: one study reported mean curvature decreased from 33° at baseline to 15° at 6 months and 13° at 9 months (mean decrease ≈20°) ^[6]. Systematic syntheses also report statistically significant curvature differences favoring traction therapy immediately after 3 months and continued advantage in longer follow‑up, although missing data and nonrandomized phases complicate interpretation ^{[2] [6]}.

4. Who benefits most — patient and disease factors

Guideline and observational sources note greater chances of curvature improvement in certain subgroups (for example, curvatures 30°–60°, absence of calcification, and higher baseline erectile scores) and that placebo/modelling effects can be nontrivial in trials (an 18.2% improvement seen in placebo arms in some analyses) ^[7]. Available sources do not comprehensively list predictors specific to RestoreX beyond trial inclusion criteria ^[1].

5. Safety and patient experience reported in trials

RestoreX trial publications and open‑label follow‑ups report PTT was safe with mostly mild, transient symptoms and no serious device‑related adverse events leading to withdrawal; investigators describe PTT as a conservative, low‑cost option to consider in men with Peyronie’s disease ^{[3] [8] [4]}.

6. Limitations, caveats and remaining uncertainties

The body of evidence includes randomized trials but also nonrandomized and open‑label studies with missing follow‑up that weaken long‑term conclusions; some analyses note control or placebo arms also show improvement, raising questions about modelling/placebo or natural history effects ^{[2] [7]}. Long‑term durability beyond 9–12 months is reported in surgical literature rather than traction trials, so “how long gains last” is less well documented in the PTT trials cited ^{[2] [9]}.

7. Practical takeaway for patients and clinicians

Clinical trial data support measurable curvature improvement within about 3 months of consistent daily PTT using RestoreX (30–90 minutes/day), with additional improvement for many men at 6–9 months when adherence continues; older devices often required hours/day and may take longer ^{[1] [6] [3]}. Discuss device type, realistic timelines, expected magnitude of change, and alternatives (injections, modelling, or surgical correction) with a urologist — sources emphasize individual factors (disease chronicity, calcification, curvature severity) influence outcomes ^{[7] [10]}.

Sources cited: randomized RestoreX trial and follow‑up reports ^{[1] [3] [4]}, narrative/systematic summaries and guideline context ^{[5] [2] [6] [7] [10]}.