As the first step in producing totally bioresorbable osteoconductive composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering using the selective laser sintering technology, bioresorbable nanoparticles of calcium phosphate (Ca-P) similar in composition to beta-tricalcium phosphate were synthesized and Ca-P nanoparticle filled poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) microspheres were fabricated. The pH of the chemical reaction for Ca-P particle synthesis was found to have significant effects on the morphology and chemical composition of Ca-P precipitated. Ca-P particles produced at the pH of 10.0-11.0 were amorphous, had a Ca: P molar ratio of about 1.5, were spherical in shape and had sizes in the range of 10-30 nm. The Ca-P particles were used to form Ca-P nanocomposite microspheres through a solid-in-oil-in-water (S/O/W) emulsion solvent evaporation process. Ca-P nanoparticles were mostly encapsulated inside the microspheres and some Ca-P nanoparticles were superficially embedded on the microspheres. The Ca-P/PHBV microspheres had an average diameter of about 48 mm which is suitable for selective laser sintering for constructing osteoconductive composite scaffolds. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.