Bovine femur bone hydroxyapatite (HA) containing silver (Ag) nanoparticles was synthesized by thermal decomposition method and subsequent reduction of silver nitrate with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) in the presence of poly(vinylacetate) (PVAc). The structural, morphological, and chemical properties of the HA-Ag nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM images showed that the Ag nanoparticles with size ranging from 8 to 20 nm and were arranged at the periphery of HA crystals. Bactericidal activity of HA-Ag with different concentration of Ag nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of HA was investigated against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, non-MRSA), Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) by the disc diffusion susceptibility test. The HA-Ag nanoparticles showed that broad spectrum activity against non-MRSA, MRSA, and E. coli bacterial strains. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.