Methods for ameliorating tissue trauma from a surgical incision comprise making the surgical incision with a cutting instrument comprising a cutting instrument body defining two opposed sides and a direction of elongation, and having at least one cutting edge extending along the direction of elongation. The cutting edge defines an ultimate edge and two beveled faces adjacent the ultimate edge. The cutting edge of the cutting instrument has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of (a) a uniform ultimate edge having a maximum height deviation of 4 &mgr； m or less along any 680 &mgr； m segment of thereof； (b) each beveled face having a maximum height deviation of 4 &mgr； m or less along any 680 &mgr； m segment of thereof； and (c) each beveled face adjacent the ultimate edge having a root mean square surface roughness (Rq) of not more than 200 nm. Improved cutting instruments are also provided.本發明係關於由手術切口改良組織創傷之方法，其包含以包含切割工具主體之切割工具形成該手術切口，該主體界定兩個對置側面及一伸長方向，且具有至少一個沿該伸長方向延伸之切割邊緣。該切割邊緣界定一最終邊緣及兩個與最終邊緣相鄰之斜角表面。該切割工具之該切割邊緣具有至少一個選自由以下特徵組成之群的特徵：(a)沿其任何680 μm之片段具有4 μm或更小之最大高度偏差之一均一最終邊緣；(b)各斜角表面沿其任何680 μm之片段具有4 μm或更小之最大高度偏差；及(c)與該最終邊緣相鄰之各斜角表面具有不超過200 nm之均方根表面粗糙度(Rq)。本發明亦提供經改良之切割工具。
