Hydroxyapatite (HA) is widely used in bone tissue engineering for its bioactivity and biocompatibility, and a growing number of researchers are exploring ways to improve the physical properties and biological functions of hydroxyapatite. Up to now, HA has been used as inorganic building blocks for tissue engineering or as nanofillers to blend with polymers, furthermore, various methods such as ion doping or surface modification have been also reported to prepare functionalized HA. In this review, we try to give a brief and comprehensive introduction about HA-based materials, including ion-doped HA, HA/polymer composites and surface modified HA and their applications in bone tissue engineering. In addition, the prospective of HA is also discussed. This review may be helpful for researchers to get a general understanding about the development of hydroxyapatite based materials.