In House M.D., Dr. House regularly uses a cane as a walking aid.
House walks with a limp and relies on the cane because of permanent damage to his right leg. The injury resulted from an infarction involving the quadriceps muscle, an event described in the series as occurring before the show begins. Chronic pain from the injury contributes to his dependence on Vicodin, a central part of his character arc.
The cane is more than a medical prop. House uses it as part of his visual identity and sometimes as an expressive or practical object during conversations. Its distinctive design changes over the course of the series, including a flame-patterned cane.
The cane is sometimes confused with a crutch because House’s limp is pronounced, but the show consistently presents it as a cane. He does not normally use a walker or wheelchair.