What medical condition caused Gregory House’s limp in House, M.D.?

Gregory House’s limp in House, M.D. was caused by an infarction of his right quadriceps muscle. The condition resulted in severe, permanent damage and led to the chronic leg pain for which House used a cane and prescription pain medication.

The show’s backstory explains that House initially experienced pain and was later diagnosed with a muscle infarction, often described in the series as dead muscle tissue. He underwent surgery that removed damaged tissue, but the treatment left him with lasting disability. This history is central to House’s physical appearance, addiction storyline, and resentment toward some aspects of medical care.

The injury is sometimes simplified as a leg fracture or generic muscle damage. Those descriptions are inaccurate. House’s defining limp comes from a quadriceps infarction, not a broken bone, neurological disease, or Achilles tendon injury.