Dr. Gregory House commonly carries a cane while walking in House M.D.
House uses the cane because of chronic pain and weakness in his right leg, caused by an infarction in the quadriceps muscle before the series begins. He received surgery that saved his leg but left lasting damage, and the resulting limp becomes one of the character’s most recognizable traits.
The cane is more than a mobility aid in the show. House uses it as part of his physical presence, sometimes leaning on it, spinning it, or using it to emphasize his impatience. The prop also visually signals the tension between his medical expertise and his own difficult health history.
A cane is distinct from a crutch: it provides support but is not designed to bear the same degree of weight. House’s pain medication is another major part of his story, but the cane itself is the specific object he is repeatedly shown carrying.