In the current research, magnesium and its alloys have been intensively studied as resorbable implant materials. Magnesium materials combine their good mechanical properties with bioactivity, which make them interesting for guided bone regeneration and for the application as barrier membranes. In this study, the in vitro degradation behavior of thin magnesium films was investigated in cell medium and simulated body fluid. Three methods were applied to evaluate corrosion rates: measurements of (i) the gaseous volume evolved during immersion, (ii) volume change after immersion, and (iii) polarization curves. In this comparison, measurements of H-2 development in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium showed to be the most appropriate method, exhibiting a corrosion rate of 0.5 mm center dot year(-1). Observed oxide and carbon contamination have a high impact on controlled degradation, suggesting that surface treatment of thin foils is necessary. The bioactivity test showed positive results; more detailed tests in this area are of interest.