What medical event caused Gregory House’s permanent leg damage in House M.D.?

An infarction caused Gregory House’s permanent leg damage in House M.D.

House suffered an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right thigh, meaning that blood flow was blocked and muscle tissue died. The resulting damage caused chronic pain and a permanent limp. He later uses a cane and relies on prescription pain medication, making the injury central to both his appearance and his behavior.

The show gradually reveals the history behind House’s disability rather than explaining it fully at the beginning. A medical infarction is not limited to the heart; it can occur when tissue loses its blood supply in other parts of the body. That distinction matters because viewers sometimes assume House had a conventional leg fracture or a heart attack. His injury was instead a localized muscle infarction, followed by complications that led to the loss of much of the damaged tissue.