Exploring the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Diabetic Foot Based on the Theory of “Xuanfu Stagnation”

糖尿病足是糖尿病最严重的并发症之一，以足部溃疡、坏疽及高致残率为特征，我国50岁以上糖尿病患者发病率达8.1%，年死亡率11%，截肢后死亡率升至22%，医疗支出占糖尿病总费用的三分之一，构成重大公共卫生挑战。本文基于刘完素“玄府怫郁”理论，系统探讨糖尿病足的中医病机与治疗策略。玄府理论源于《黄帝内经》，经刘完素发展为“微观孔窍”学说，强调玄府闭密导致气液壅滞、痰瘀毒结是疾病核心病机。糖尿病足属“脱疽”范畴，以气阴两虚为本，湿热毒瘀为标，玄府郁闭贯穿始终：阴虚燥热灼伤津液，玄府失润而闭阻；气虚推动无力，气机升降失常，终致络脉失养、毒邪内生，形成“湿–热–毒–瘀”交织的病理格局。玄府怫郁理论通过“微观–宏观”联动视角，为糖尿病足的诊疗提供了全新的视角，以期为临床治疗提供新思路。Diabetic foot, one of the most severe complications of diabetes, is characterized by foot ulcers, gangrene, and high disability rates. In China, the incidence rate among diabetic patients over 50 years old reaches 8.1%, with an annual mortality rate of 11% that rises to 22% post-amputation. Medical expenditures for this condition account for one-third of the total costs associated with diabetes, posing a significant public health challenge. Based on Liu Wansu’s “Xuanfu Stagnation” (stagnation of subtle orifices) theory, this paper systematically explores the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of diabetic foot in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Originating from “Huangdi Neijing” (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine), the Xuanfu theory was further developed by Liu Wansu into the “micro-orifice” doctrine, emphasizing that obstruction of these microscopic portals leading to qi-fluid stagnation and accumulation of phlegm-toxin-stasis constitutes the core pathogenesis. Classified as “gangrenous cellulitis” in TCM, diabetic foot manifests as deficiency of both qi and yin at its root, with damp-heat, toxin, and blood stasis as secondary manifestations. Xuanfu stagnation persists throughout the disease course: yin deficiency with dry-heat consumes body fluids, causing Xuanfu obstruction through desiccation; qi deficiency impairs propulsion and disrupts qi movement, ultimately resulting in malnutrition of collaterals and endogenous toxin formation. This creates a pathological pattern interweaving “dampness-heat-toxin-stasis”. The Xuanfu Stagnation theory provides novel diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives through its “micro-macro” integrative approach, offering new clinical insights for diabetic foot management.