The repair and functional reconstruction of bone defects had become an urgent need and an important research topic. To repair bone defects, artificial bone materials must have an interconnected microporous structure to match the defect site with sufficient mechanical strength and good biocompatibility. To fulfill these requirements, a continuous porous Si3N4 ceramic with high strength and toughness, low friction and good biological properties was prepared. The particle-stabilized foam provided a controlled hierarchical porous structure, whereas the in situ growth of β-Si3N4 grains during sintering not only enhanced mechanical strength to meet practical applications in tissue engineering scaffolds but also changed the surface chemistry of pores to improve biocompatibility. These attractive properties promoted porous Si3N4 ceramics with advanced applications in bone defect repair.