Hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics have been conventionally strengthened and toughened in the form of composites and coatings. New microstructural designs and processing methodologies are still needed for the improvement of the mechanical properties of HA-based ceramics. This study was to prepare laminated and functionally graded HA/yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) composites by the relatively new process of spark plasma sintering (SPS). The microstructure and the mechanical properties of the laminated and functionally graded composites were studied for possible orthopedic applications. It was found that the laminated and functionally graded HA/Y-TZP composites could be densified at 1200 degrees C within 5 min by the SPS process and the average HA grain size in the composite layers was reduced by half due to the well-dispersed Y-TZP second phase. The HA phase in the composite layers was stable up to 1200 degrees C and the Y-TZP second phase remained the tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO(2)) phase after being processed at the highest temperature of 1250 degrees C. The laminated and functionally graded HA/Y-TZP composites exhibited much improved mechanical properties compared with the pure HA ceramics; the bending strength of the composites reached about 200 MPa, double the strength of the pure HA ceramics.