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In this latest episode, entitled "Skin Deep," Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) treats a teenage supermodel for heroin addiction and, in the process, uncovers a startling secret about the girl. Meanwhile, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) hopes that House's increased leg pain indicates that his leg nerves are regenerating, and a male clinic patient suffers from high estrogen levels that allow him to experience his wife's pregnancy – including morning sickness and labor pains.

Um... They're not trying to say he might get mobility of his leg back, are they? I thought he had actual muscle removed? That doesn't grow back.

I don't know any spoilers beyond the synopsis above, which only pertains to the upcoming episode. But I'm curious from a medical and canon standpoint.

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I read some discussion of this at TWoP, and some posters speculated that the point is the nerves' regeneration is making House's situation worse. The muscle won't grow back so he'll never regain mobility, and the nerves growing back just means he'll be experiencing more and more pain. Hence, more and more Vicodin, which may explain Cuddy's comment from the preview about him becoming a junkie.

We could get some excellent angst out of this, if this is indeed the way they're going.

Definitely sounds a basis for excellent angst. But why would Wilson be "hopeful" about it then?

If he's regenerating nerves ... that's going to hurt. So much. I doubt that pharmaceutical-grade morphine would sufficiently kill that pain.

Interesting prediction on what the PotW will be afflicted with in tomorrow night's episode.

I wonder why Wilson "hopes" that's what it is, then? Wouldn't increased pain be a worse sitution for House, and since you can't regrow muscle, where's the up side?

The only possible upside I could think of is forcing House to ditch Vicodin and any other drugs and try to find a way to cope with the pain through alternate means. Or, more likely, it might lead to House being faced with leg amputation, which is what they originally wished to do for him when it began. Either way, after a while, drugs won't work and House will have to own up to the fact he can't stay a "junkie" his whole life. It's either deal with it one way or lose the leg.

Oohh...leg amuputation would be a bitch. Probably less painful, but still a bitch, after he went through so much trouble to keep his leg. ::hugs poor pained House:: On the other hand, once he got over it, he'd probably be a more well-adjusted person. And he would actually be MORE mobile.

I kind of look to "Three Stories" on that one. One man had the amputation and turned out just fine. The young girl managed to keep her leg and everything worked out. Then, you have House, the one who did not do what the doctors told him - because he thinks he knows what's best for him - and it turned him into a drug addict.

I honestly don't believe that House's infarction is what you can trace his snark and general dislike of associating with other people back to. Something more is behind that ... he's probably using the leg as an excuse now. Along with the Stacey break-up, but he's not voicing that one. Maybe to Wilson. Maybe. Fixing House's leg won't fix his mindset. Probably, it could make him worse. Drug addicts use their addictions to escape problems. Unless it's a problem he wants to deal with - medical mysteries - House is always popping those pills. If he no longer has that to fall back, with a "reason" (i.e. leg pain), he must face his life head-on.

Okay, I didn't mean to prattle on that way.

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