In House M.D., Gregory House commonly uses a cane while walking because of his leg injury.
House’s cane is one of his most recognizable visual traits. He developed chronic pain and impaired mobility after suffering an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The injury left him with lasting damage and became a major part of his history.
The cane also functions as a character symbol. It emphasizes House’s physical limitations, separates him visually from other doctors, and often becomes part of his dry humor or confrontational behavior. Hugh Laurie used the prop throughout the series’ production.
A cane is not the same as a crutch: House generally relies on one cane rather than supporting his weight with underarm crutches. His limp and pain are central story elements, but the show also makes clear that his disability does not prevent him from performing complex diagnostic work.