A cane is especially associated with Gregory House’s leg injury in House M.D. House walks with a cane because of chronic pain and disability caused by an infarction in his right quadriceps muscle.
The injury occurred before the main events of the series and left House with lasting muscle damage. He also relies on the painkiller Vicodin, making his mobility and drug dependence recurring parts of the character’s story.
House’s cane is more than a prop: it contributes to his silhouette, affects how he moves through the hospital, and visually signals the physical consequences of his past illness. Viewers sometimes describe it as a crutch, but the show consistently presents it as a cane.