Transfers of Financial Assets - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Transfers And Servicing [Abstract]
Aggregate face value of receivables sold	$ 1,225.5	$ 96.6
Cash proceeds from receivables	1,224.3	95.8
Proceeds from customers	1,186.7
Repurchase of accounts receivables sold	$ 131.4
Proceeds from other current liabilities		$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Cash Flows between a transferor and a transferee attributable to collections reinvested in revolving period transfers related to either a securitization, asset-backed financing arrangement, or similar transfer in which the transferor has continuing involvement with the transferred financial assets underlying the transaction (including, but not limited to, servicing, recourse, and restrictions on transferor's interests in the transferred financial assets).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121570589&loc=d3e107207-111719

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashFlowsBetweenTransfereeAndTransferorProceedsFromCollectionsReinvestedInRevolvingPeriodTransfers
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Cash Flows between a transferor and a transferee attributable to purchases of previously transferred financial assets (or its underlying collateral) related to a securitization, asset-backed financing arrangement, or similar transfer in which the transferor has continuing involvement with the transferred financial assets underlying the transaction (including, but not limited to, servicing, recourse, and restrictions on transferor's interests in the transferred financial assets).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121570589&loc=d3e107207-111719

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashFlowsBetweenTransfereeAndTransferorPurchasesOfPreviouslyTransferredFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of derecognized financial assets from transactions which comprise an initial transfer and an agreement entered into in contemplation of the initial transfer resulting in retention of substantially all of the exposure to the economic return throughout the term of the transaction, at the date of derecognition.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121570589&loc=SL51823488-111719

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TransferOfFinancialAssetsAccountedForAsSalesAmountDerecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before counterparty netting, of cash proceeds received in transfers of derecognized financial assets from transactions which comprise an initial transfer and an agreement entered into in contemplation of the initial transfer resulting in retention of substantially all of the exposure to the economic return throughout the term of the transaction.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121570589&loc=SL51823488-111719

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TransferOfFinancialAssetsAccountedForAsSalesCashProceedsReceivedForAssetsDerecognizedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TransfersAndServicingAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Liability for funds collected and owed to transferee.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	zbh_CollectionsOwedToTransferree
Namespace Prefix:	zbh_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant