A surgical cutting instrument having elongate inner and outer tubular members with distal ends cooperating to cut bodily tissue and aspirate the cut bodily tissue through the inner tubular member includes a ceramic coating formed on the inner tubular member to extend from the distal end to the proximal end thereof such that the ceramic coating forms an elongate bearing surface extending along the length of the surgical cutting instrument to prevent cocking or skewing of the inner tubular member relative to the outer tubular member, to increase the surface hardness of the inner tubular member, to reduce the coefficient of friction of the inner tubular member and to prevent galling and possible seizure of the inner tubular member by distributing or dispersing heat along the surgical cutting instrument while reducing the clearance between the outer diameter of the inner tubular member and the inner diameter of the outer tubular member.