A surgical milling cutter designed to remove bone and/or cartilage tissue includes a shaft which extends along a longitudinal axis, can rotate about same, and can be releasably connected to a drive device and which has a proximal end that can be rotationally fixed to a drive unit and a distal end lying opposite the proximal end. A milling surface circumferentially surrounds the shaft (2) and extends on the distal end along the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The milling surface protrudes radially from the shaft and has a milling surface maximum radius. The surgical milling cutter prevents unwanted damage to delicate body structures via an atraumatic design having a protective assembly provided on the distal end. The protective assembly has a distal support surface and a protective assembly maximum radius in order to form a protective ring which surrounds the milling surface maximum radius in a circular manner.
