Implants that are biodegradable in situ allow fixation of osteochondral fractures without the need for subsequent hardware removal. Foreign-body reactions and soft-tissue reactions during degradation have been described, varying with the composition and degradation properties of the implants. With the aim of improving the degradation characteristics, 10% tricalcium phosphate was incorporated into a poly-l/dl-lactide pin (Polypin). In an animal study over 3 years, complete degradation of the implants was observed and the implantation site was found to have filled up with bone or scar tissue. After this study, 78 human patients were treated with similar implants and followed up clinically and with conventional radiographs after an average of 39 months. The biodegradable implants had been used for fixation of osteochondral fractures in the shoulder in 5 patients, the elbow in 42, the hip in 12, the knee in 7, and the foot in 12. All fractures were found to have healed completely without displacement, and the functional results were good in all cases. No foreign-body and/or soft-tissue reactions caused by the implants were observed. The clinical results were similar to or better than results recorded in the literature.