In House M.D., what physical injury causes House to walk with a cane?

A quadriceps muscle infarction causes House to walk with a cane in House M.D.

House suffers an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg after a vascular problem cuts off its blood supply. The resulting muscle damage causes chronic pain and impaired walking. The injury is a major part of his character and explains his distinctive cane-assisted gait.

House initially receives treatment that preserves his leg but leaves lasting damage. He later relies on pain medication, particularly Vicodin, to manage the pain. The series connects his physical condition with his emotional isolation, irritability, and increasingly risky behavior, while also showing that the painkiller dependence becomes a serious problem of its own.

The injury is sometimes incorrectly described as a simple leg fracture or an ordinary muscle tear. It is more specific: an infarction is tissue death caused by inadequate blood supply. House's cane is therefore both a medical consequence and one of the show's most recognizable visual symbols.