a biopsy instrument includes a canula slidingly disposed in a finger tube having a finger at its distal end . by forward displacement of the finger tube relative to the canula the finger is inserted into an opening in the canula wall near its cutting front edge . thereby a piece of tissue located inside the canula is severed from living tissue . the instrument has a steel spring compressed against a force of at least 35 n for displacing the canula and the finger tube in the tissue cutting step . the stopper on which the moving canula impacts includes an element of an impact damping design . the impact damping element is made of high - impact grade abs - polymer or a polymer with similar physical properties . it can be used also with known biopsy instruments having a moving canula and / or stylet driven by a powerful spring . also described is a loading assembly for a biopsy apparatus incorporating the biopsy instrument .