A surgical instrument such as a rongeur (2), including a fixed or stationery first jaw element (4); a stop plate (6) carried at a distal end of the first jaw element; and a second jaw element (12) slidably coupled to the first jaw element, the second jaw element comprising a body (14) having a cutting edge (20) at the front thereof, and defining a channel therein having a front opening and a rear opening, wherein the second jaw element has a closed configuration in which the cutting edge of the second jaw element body is in contact with the stop plate and an open configuration in which the cutting edge of the second jaw element body is spaced from the stop plate, and wherein the instrument further includes a detachable collection tube (28) releasably coupled to the rear of the body of the second jaw element, the detachable collection tube including an inlet in communication with the rear opening of the channel.