Revision of Prior Period Financial Statements - Revisions to the Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cost of products sold, excluding intangible asset amortization									$ 1,800.6	$ 1,242.8	$ 1,266.7
Research and development									268.8	187.4	203.0
Selling, general and administrative									2,284.2	1,750.7	1,749.3
Special items									831.8	341.1	210.3
Operating expenses									5,530.5	3,636.0	3,554.8
Earnings before income taxes									153.2	939.4	1,008.1
Provision for income taxes									7.0	220.2	229.5
Net earnings									146.2	719.2	778.6
Net Earnings of Zimmer Holdings, Inc.	$ 127.0	$ 22.2	$ (173.6)	$ 171.4	$ 153.8	$ 173.1	$ 172.4	$ 221.0	$ 147.0	$ 720.3	$ 780.4
Earnings Per Common Share - Basic	$ 0.62	$ 0.11	$ (1.00)	$ 1.01	$ 0.91	$ 1.02	$ 1.02	$ 1.31	$ 0.78	$ 4.26	$ 4.60
Earnings Per Common Share - Diluted	$ 0.62	$ 0.11	$ (1.00)	$ 0.99	$ 0.89	$ 1.01	$ 1.01	$ 1.29	$ 0.77	$ 4.20	$ 4.54
Foreign currency cumulative translation adjustments									$ (305.2)	$ (223.1)	$ (35.0)
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)									(367.1)	(262.8)	32.6
Comprehensive Income									(220.9)	456.4	811.2
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Zimmer Holdings, Inc.									$ (220.6)	457.4	813.2
As Reported [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cost of products sold, excluding intangible asset amortization										1,242.7	1,280.1
Research and development										187.9	203.4
Selling, general and administrative										1,744.4	1,758.8
Special items										342.5	214.0
Operating expenses										3,631.5	3,581.8
Earnings before income taxes										943.9	981.1
Provision for income taxes										224.9	221.9
Net earnings										719.0	759.2
Net Earnings of Zimmer Holdings, Inc.										$ 720.1	$ 761.0
Earnings Per Common Share - Basic										$ 4.26	$ 4.49
Earnings Per Common Share - Diluted										$ 4.19	$ 4.43
Foreign currency cumulative translation adjustments										$ (241.5)	$ (44.4)
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)										(281.2)	23.2
Comprehensive Income										437.8	782.4
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Zimmer Holdings, Inc.										438.8	784.4
Adjustments [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cost of products sold, excluding intangible asset amortization										0.1	(13.4)
Research and development										(0.5)	(0.4)
Selling, general and administrative										6.3	(9.5)
Special items										(1.4)	(3.7)
Operating expenses										4.5	(27.0)
Earnings before income taxes										(4.5)	27.0
Provision for income taxes										(4.7)	7.6
Net earnings										0.2	19.4
Net Earnings of Zimmer Holdings, Inc.										$ 0.2	$ 19.4
Earnings Per Common Share - Basic											$ 0.11
Earnings Per Common Share - Diluted										$ 0.01	$ 0.11
Foreign currency cumulative translation adjustments										$ 18.4	$ 9.4
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)										18.4	9.4
Comprehensive Income										18.6	28.8
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Zimmer Holdings, Inc.										$ 18.6	$ 28.8