Abstract:Objective:To analyze the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of nonunion and delayed union of fractures through data mining techniques. Methods: Relevant literature was systematically retrieved from databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform (Wanfang),China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP),and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM),covering the period from their inception to November 2024. The Ancient and Modern Medical Cases Cloud Platform was employed to perform frequency, nature, flavor, meridian tropism, efficacy statistics, association rule analysis,cluster analysis,and complex network analysis on the medicinal ingredients involved in the effective Chinese medicine compounds. Results:A total of 138 Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions were included, involving 233 distinct herbs. Among these 233 herbs,the predominant natures were warm and neutral;the predominant flavors were sweet,bitter,and pungent;the main meridian tropisms were the liver,kidney,and spleen meridians; the primary therapeutic effects were nourishing the liver and kidney, activating blood and resolving stasis, and tonifying qi and nourishing blood,followed by reuniting tendons and bones. Association rule analysis yielded 14 herb pairs, involving 13 distinct herbs. Cluster analysis identified 3 core herb combinations. Complex network analysis derived a core prescription containing 11 distinct herbs. Conclusion:The core pathogenesis of nonunion and delayed union of fractures is rooted in deficiency of the liver and kidney as well as insufficiency of qi and blood, with qi stagnation and blood stasis as the branch. Treatment should follow the principles of treating both root and branch simultaneously. Specifically,tonifying the liver and kidney,tonifying qi and nourishing blood are used to treat the root, while activating blood and resolving stasis, reuniting tendons and bones are used to treat the branch with synergistic effects of multiple herbs to promote fracture healing. Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Drynariae Rhizoma, Dipsaci Radix, and Astragali Radix serve as the core herbs. The basic compatible herb pairs include Drynariae Rhizoma-Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Dipsaci Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Drynariae Rhizoma-Dipsaci Radix,and Astragali Radix- Angelicae Sinensis Radix.