Abstract: Biopsy needles comprising an elongate hollow needle having an inwardly tapered front end portion terminating in a cutting edge have been used for taking bone marrow biopsies, but difficulties occur, inter alia, in breaking off the biopsy from the remainder of the marrow and retaining it in the needle. This difficulty is overcome by the needle having a front end portion of smaller internal cross-section than the remainder of the needle, with an internal shoulder or step where the said front portion adjoins the wider internal portion of the needle. The shoulder is adapted to break or cut the biopsy from the remainder of the marrow and retain it within the needle.