Objective To analyze the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome in the orthopedic department of Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

Methods The data of TCM internal prescriptions for patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome in the orthopedic department of Dongfang Hospital from 2019 to 2022 were analyzed using Excel software. The times of usage, frequency, and dosage of prescribed drugs, along with the medicinal properties, meridian tropism, and functional classification of the top 30 herbs were calculated. The association rules in SQL server 2008 R2 software were used for data mining to analyze the compatibility patterns and core medications in TCM prescriptions for orthopedic patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome.

Results Among the orthopedic TCM prescriptions, the top five herbs with the highest usage frequency were Fuling, Danggui, Baishao, Zexie, Chuanxiong; the top 30 frequently used herbs were mainly sweet, warm, bitter, and pungent flavors; their meridian tropism was primarily the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians; and their primary functions were to activate blood circulation and dispel blood stasis, tonify deficiency, and promote diuresis and eliminate dampness. The medicinal properties, functions, and core medications of TCM prescriptions were in line with the principle of treating both the symptoms and the root causes of orthopedic diseases with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. There were serious issues of overdosage in uthe se of prepared Baifuzi, Banxia(different processed products), and Shuizhi.

Conclusion The analysis of medication patterns of TCM for orthopedic diseases through data mining methods can clarify the characteristics of medication use and identify issues of clinical overdosage, providing a basis for rational and safe clinical medication.