Gregory House regularly uses a cane while walking in House M.D.
House’s cane is one of the character’s most recognizable visual details. He uses it because of lasting pain and reduced function in his right leg after an infarction in the quadriceps muscle. The injury occurred before the series begins and shapes both his gait and his dependence on pain medication.
The cane is more than a prop: it signals House’s physical vulnerability while contrasting with his intellectual confidence. Its distinctive design and the way House carries it also became part of his visual identity.
Viewers sometimes describe the device as a crutch because House leans on it, but the show identifies it as a cane. A walker and wheelchair are likewise incorrect: House remains ambulatory throughout the series, although his pain and mobility vary across episodes.