What injury causes Dr. Gregory House’s limp in House M.D.?

A quadriceps muscle infarction causes Dr. Gregory House’s limp in House M.D.

Before the series begins, House suffers an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The damaged tissue is left in place for too long, and the resulting injury produces chronic pain and a pronounced limp. House uses a cane and relies on prescription pain medication, especially Vicodin.

The show explains the backstory in the season-one episode “Three Stories.” House’s former partner, Stacy Warner, authorized a risky procedure after doctors initially misread the problem. House survives, but the treatment leaves permanent muscle damage.

The injury is not a broken bone or a simple tendon tear. The phrase “muscle infarction” refers to tissue death caused by interrupted blood supply, which is central to the character’s long-term disability and addiction storyline.