Rotatable surgical burr

A method of using a surgical instrument having a rotatable surgical cutter comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated tubular inner member having a proximal end, a distal end, an interior lumen and a hub at said proximal end for attaching said inner member to a source of rotation within the surgical instrument;
• providing an elongated tubular outer member having a proximal end, a distal end and a hub at said proximal end for attaching said outer member to the surgical instrument;
• rotatably attaching to the distal end of said outer member a cutting element rotatable relative to said outer member and having a distal end and a proximal end;
• attaching to the distal end of said inner member a cannulated flexible coupling means for transmitting motion of said inner member to said cutting element, said flexible coupling means having a proximal end, irremovably attached to said distal end of said inner member, and a distal end for engaging the proximal end of said cutting element;
• selectively engaging the distal end of said flexible coupling means with the proximal end of said cutting element;
• providing at least one aperture in said cutting element, said at least one aperture in communication with said interior lumen of said tubular inner member;
• providing an aspirating vacuum through said interior lumen of said inner member and said at least one aperture of said cutting element;
• and
• rotating said tubular inner member relative to said tubular outer member to thereby rotate said cutting element relative to said outer member while aspirating through said at least one aperture.