Which muscle suffered the infarction that caused House's chronic leg pain in House M.D.?

House's quadriceps muscle suffered the infarction that caused his chronic leg pain in House M.D.

Before the series begins, Gregory House develops a clot that blocks blood flow to the quadriceps muscle in his right leg. The resulting muscle infarction causes permanent damage and leaves him with chronic pain and a limp. He uses a cane and relies on prescription pain medication, especially Vicodin, throughout much of the series.

House initially receives treatment that does not fully resolve the problem. A later surgical decision removes dead muscle tissue, but the procedure cannot restore the damaged muscle to normal. The event becomes a defining part of House's biography and explains both his physical disability and his complicated relationship with pain management.

The condition is often casually described as a leg infarction, but the quadriceps is the specific muscle named in the show's backstory. It should not be confused with a heart attack: an infarction is tissue death caused by inadequate blood supply, and it can affect muscle outside the heart.