This review provides some recent progress of the research in machinability assessment of magnesium alloys. Surface integrity and cutting temperature as the main machinability terms are widely discussed in this paper. Machining parameters, such as cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, play important roles in developing good surface finish and high quality surface integrity. Achieving good surface finish (low surface roughness) is a main objective in machining, especially for biomedical applications. Cutting temperature during machining has to be taken into considerations. High temperature during cutting leads to low surface finish and higher tool wear rate, leading to low tool life and poorer surface finish. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.