This work presents the results of laser-induced fragmentation of hydroxylapatite microparticles in water dissolution. Calcined fish bones in form of powder, which were previously milled to achieve microsized particles, were used as precursor material. Two different laser sources were employed to reduce the size of the suspended particles: a pulsed Nd: YAG laser and a Ytterbium doped fiber laser working in continuous wave mode. The morphology as well as the composition of the obtained particles was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and conventional and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM, HRTEM). The results show that nanometric particles of hydroxylapatite and beta-tricalcium phosphate as small as 10 nm diameter can be obtained. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.