What injury causes Dr. House’s chronic leg pain in House M.D.?

Dr. House’s chronic leg pain is caused by a quadriceps infarction.

Before the events of the series, House suffered an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The muscle tissue died after its blood supply was blocked, and surgeons removed the dead tissue. The resulting damage left House with permanent pain and an altered gait.

House uses a cane and takes Vicodin to manage the pain, creating one of the series’ major long-running conflicts. His dependence on the medication affects his judgment, relationships, medical license, and willingness to accept treatment. The injury is therefore both a medical fact about the character and a central narrative device.

The condition is often loosely described as a leg injury or muscle damage, but the specific diagnosis is quadriceps infarction. It is not presented as a broken bone, tendon rupture, or ordinary knee injury.