Gregory House’s quadriceps infarction affects his right leg in House, M.D.
Before the series begins, House suffers an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The resulting damage causes chronic pain, a limp, and his characteristic use of a cane. The injury is central to House’s physical appearance and to many storylines about pain treatment and addiction.
House initially undergoes surgery that removes dead muscle tissue, but the procedure leaves him with permanent impairment. He later relies on pain medication, especially Vicodin, while continuing to work as a diagnostician. The show repeatedly connects his medical expertise with his personal experience of illness.
The injury is sometimes described loosely as a leg infarction, but the more specific account concerns the quadriceps muscle. It is also distinct from a fracture or an ordinary orthopedic injury; the infarction is a loss of blood supply that damages muscle tissue.