Retirement Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Schedule of Company's Defined Contribution Pension Plans

	2011			2010			2009
Defined contribution retirement plan expense	$	106		$	102		$	101
Defined contribution plan expense funded with Stryker common stock	12			11			11
Stryker common stock held by defined contribution plan
Dollar amount	91			96			83
Shares (in millions of shares)	1.8			1.8			1.6
Value as a percentage of total plan assets	9		%	10		%	11		%

Schedule of Obligations and Funded Status of Defined Benefit Pension Plans

	December 31
	2011			2010
Funded Status
Fair value of plan assets	$	210		$	200
Benefit obligations	316			308
Funded status	$	(106	)	$	(108	)
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Noncurrent assets—Other	$	—		$	—
Current liabilities—Accrued compensation	(1		)	(1		)
Noncurrent liabilities—Other liabilities	(105		)	(107		)
Pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	(68	)	$	(61	)
Unrecognized prior service cost	12			—
Unrecognized transition amount	—			—
	$	(56	)	$	(61	)

Schedule of Company's Defined Benefit Pension Plan

	December 31
	2011			2010
Change in projected benefit obligations:
Projected benefit obligations at beginning of year	$	308		$	262
Service cost	20			16
Interest cost	13			12
Foreign exchange impact	3			(2		)
Employee contributions	4			4
Actuarial gains	(7		)	26
Plan amendments	(13		)	—
Benefits paid	(12		)	(10		)
Projected benefit obligations at end of year	$	316		$	308
Accumulated benefit obligations at end of year	305			$	293
	December 31
	2011			2010
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	200			177
Actual return	(4		)	8
Employer contributions	18			18
Employee contributions	5			4
Foreign exchange impact	2			2
Benefits paid	(11		)	(9		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	210		$	200

Schedule of Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Gain Loss Before Effect of Income Taxes

	2011			2010			2009
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	(20	)	$	(16	)	$	(16	)
Interest cost	(13		)	(12		)	(11		)
Expected return on plan assets	10			9			8
Amortization of prior service cost and transition amount	—			—			—
Recognized actuarial loss	(2		)	(1		)	(2		)
Net periodic benefit cost	(25		)	(20		)	(21		)
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations, recognized in other comprehensive gain (loss):
Net actuarial gain (loss)	(10		)	(37		)	23
Recognized net actuarial loss	2			1			2
Prior service cost and transition amount	12			1			—
Total recognized in other comprehensive gain (loss)	4			(35		)	25
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive gain (loss)	$	(21	)	$	(55	)	$	4
Assumptions
Weighted-average used in the determination of net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate	4.2		%	4.9		%	4.7		%
Expected return on plan assets	4.6		%	5.2		%	5.8		%
Rate of compensation increase	1.5		%	2.8		%	2.8		%
Weighted-average used in the determination of the projected benefit obligations	4.2		%	4.2		%	4.9		%

Schedule of Weighted Average Target Investment Allocation Ranges for Plans and Weighted Average Allocation of Plan Assets by Asset Category

	Target				December 31
	Low		High		2011		2010
Equity securities	33.4	%	44.0	%	39.0	%	39.1	%
Debt securities	47.2		58.9		48.0		46.4
Other	4.0		17.4		13.0		14.5
					100	%	100	%

Schedule of Valuation of Companys Pension Plan Assets by Pricing Categories

	Total				(Level 1)				(Level 2)				(Level 3)
	2011		2010		2011		2010		2011		2010		2011		2010
Cash and cash equivalent	$	5	4		$	5	$	4	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
United States companies equity securities	71		58		71		58		—		—		—		—
International companies equity securities	10		21		10		21		—		—		—		—
Corporate debt securities	102		93		100		91		2		2		—		—
Other	22		24		5		6		—		—		17		18
Total	$	210	$	200	$	191	$	180	$	2	$	2	$	17	$	18

Schedule of Rollforward of Pension Plan Assets Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis Using Unobserved Inputs Level Three

	2011			2010
Balance as of January 1	$	18		$	16
Actual return on plan assets held at the reporting date	—			—
Purchases, sales, and settlements	(1		)	2
Balance as of December 31	$	17		$	18

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017-2021
Expected benefit payments	$	12	$	12	$	12	$	12	$	13	$	68