Which medical condition does House’s leg injury cause him chronic pain from in House M.D.?

House’s leg injury causes chronic pain from muscle infarction in House M.D.

Before the series begins, Gregory House suffers an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The damaged tissue is removed, leaving him with permanent muscle loss, a limp, and chronic pain. He uses a cane and takes pain medication as part of his ongoing attempt to manage the condition.

The infarction occurs after a blood clot blocks circulation to the muscle. House’s former partner, Stacy Warner, authorizes surgery while he is incapacitated, but the treatment results in lasting disability. This backstory explains both his physical appearance and many of his personal conflicts.

The condition is not the same as a broken bone or a spinal injury. “Muscle infarction” refers to tissue death caused by inadequate blood supply. The show dramatizes the event as a key part of House’s history, but the precise medical details are presented through fiction rather than as a general treatment guide.