The aim of this study was to develop a nanostructured Nb2O5-natural hydroxyapatite bulk composite to serve as an alternative biocompatible bulk material for implants. A set of samples of hydroxyapatite from fish bones with different concentrations of Nb2O5 were designed. They were prepared through a milling process, compacted under different pressures (350, 450, 550 and 650 MPa) and sintered in air atmosphere at 1000 degrees C for 1 h. The results revealed that the prepared composites presented strong interactions between the two elements and showed improvement in the sinterability with significant densification and microstructure changes, suggesting that they are promising for implants meant to replace bone tissues. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.