In House, M.D., which muscle was damaged in Gregory House’s leg infarction?

Gregory House’s leg infarction damaged his quadriceps muscle in House, M.D.

Before the series begins, House suffers an infarction in the quadriceps of his right leg. The muscle tissue dies after its blood supply is blocked, and the resulting injury leaves him with permanent pain and a pronounced limp. He eventually uses a cane and relies on medication to manage the pain.

The infarction is one of the defining facts of House’s medical history. It explains his physical disability, but the show also uses it to explore his frustration, addiction, and complicated relationship with vulnerability. House rejects a simple amputation and instead undergoes treatment that preserves the leg while leaving substantial damage.

Viewers sometimes describe the injury generally as a leg infarction without naming the affected muscle. The more specific answer is the quadriceps, a group of muscles at the front of the thigh that helps extend the knee.