Research on the component law of Chinese medicine for osteonecrosis of the femeral head and the development of new recipes through unsupervised data mining methods

Objective: To analyze the component law of Chinese medicines for osteonecrosis of the femeral head, and develop new prescriptions for osteonecrosis of the femeral head through unsupervised data mining methods. Methods: Chinese medicine recipes for osteonecrosis of the femeral head were collected and recorded in the database, and then the correlation coefficient between herbs, core combinations of herbs and new prescriptions were analyzed by using modified mutual information, complex system entropy cluster and unsupervised hierarchical clustering, respectively. Results: Based on the analysis of 72 Chinese medicine recipes for osteonecrosis of the femeral head, 29 drugs with high-frequency occurrence in these recipes, 19 frequently-used herb pairs and 8 core combinations were founded, and 2 new recipes for osteonecrosis of the femeral head were developed. Conclusion: Chinese medicines for osteonecrosis of the femeral head were mainly consist of wind-dampness dispelling and colddispersing medicinal, blood-activating and stasis-resolving medicinal, wind-dampnessdispelling and heatclearing medicinal. The treatment principle for osteonecrosis of the femeral head is to eliminate the pathogenic factors and reinforce the healthy qi. Radix Dipsaci, Radix Astragali, Pheretima, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Rhizoma Drynariae, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Flos Carthami, Eupolyphaga Seu Steleophaga, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Myrrha, and Olibanum are the main herbal drugs used in the treatment on osteonecrosis of the femeral head.