Objective: To explore the mechanisim of compound Gufusheng in treatment of steroid-induced ischemic necrosis of femoral head (SINFH). Thirty-two rabbits were randomly divided into a blank control group (n=12) and a model group (n=20). The rabbits of the model group were established by intramuscular injection of prednisone acetate (0.32mg/kg/d) for 8 weeks, and 2 rabbits in each group were killed at the 6th and the 8th week respectively to investigate whether the model was successfully prepared. Then remainder in the model group was again randomly divided into group A (Gufusheng group, n=8) and group B (model group, n=8), while the rest of rabbits in the blank group constituted group C (n=8). The rabbits in group B and C were fed with normal saline. After treatment for 4 weeks, the serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in the rabbits of the 3 groups were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The serum TNF-α decreased significantly and the IGF-1 level increased significantly in the Gufusheng group as compared with the model group (both P＜0.01). Compound Gufusheng can prevent SINFH and promote repair of the tissue of necrosis of femoral head possibly via decreasing the TNF-α and increasing IGF-1 level.