An organic/inorganic composite scaffold was synthesized by the introduction of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder within electrospun chitosan fibers. The effects of HA dispersion on the cross-linking process have been investigated. The obtained chitosan-HA electrospun samples were characterized in terms of morphology, chemical structure, mechanical properties, and bioactivity. Positive results were obtained in terms of homogeneous nanofibrous sample morphology, preservation of HA structure in the electrospun membranes, and improvement of sample bioactivity. (c) 2014 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.