_________________________________________________________________________

                                     
                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C.  20549
                             ________________
                                     
                                 Form S-8
                                     
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   Under
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                              _______________
                                     
                                     
                            STRYKER CORPORATION
          (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                                     
                                     
              Michigan                           38-1239739
   (State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer
    incorporation or organization           Identification No.)
                                                      
 P.O. Box 4085, Kalamazoo, Michigan              49003-4085
   (Address of principal executive               (Zip Code)
              offices)
                                     
                                     
                          1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                                     
                         (Full title of the Plan)
                                     
                              _______________
                                     
                             DAVID J. SIMPSON
           Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
                                     
                            Stryker Corporation
              P.O. Box 4085, Kalamazoo, Michigan  49003-4085
                  (Name and address of agent for service)
                                     
                              (616) 385-2600
       (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
                              _______________
                                     
                                     
                                     
                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                                     
                                                                   
   Title of       Amount       Proposed        Proposed        Amount of
Securities to     to be         Maximum         Maximum      Registration
be registered   Registered  Offering Price     Aggregate          Fee
                               Per Share    Offering Price
                                  (1)             (1)
                                                                   
Common Stock,                                                      
par value $.10  10,000,000      $60.125      $601,250,000      $167,148
  per share       shares


(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee based
     upon the average high and low price of the Common Stock on May 6, 1999 as
     reported on the New York Stock Exchange-Composite Transactions.



                                  Part II

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference
_______  _______________________________________

     The  following  documents, descriptions, amendments and reports  filed
with  the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by  Stryker
Corporation ("Stryker" or the "Company") are incorporated by reference into
this Registration Statement:

          (a)   Stryker's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for  the  year  ended
     December 31, 1998;
     
          (b)   All other reports filed by Stryker pursuant to Section
     13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
     (the "Exchange Act"), since December 31, 1998; and
     
          (c)   The  description of the Stryker Common Stock contained
     in  the  Registration  Statement  on  Form  8-A  filed  with  the
     Commission  under the Exchange Act on July 1,  1997  and  in  any
     amendment or report filed by Stryker for the purpose of  updating
     such description.
     
     All  documents  subsequently  filed by Stryker  pursuant  to  Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing  of  a
post-effective  amendment  that  indicates  that  all  securities   offered
pursuant  hereto  have been sold or that deregisters  all  securities  then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference  in  this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of  filing  of
such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities
_______  _________________________

          Not Applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
_______  ______________________________________

          Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
_______  _________________________________________

     The following is a brief summary of certain indemnification provisions
of  the  Michigan Business Corporation Act (the "MBCA") and  the  Company's
Restated  Articles of Incorporation (the "Restated Articles") and  By-Laws.
The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions  of
MBCA, the Restated Articles and the By-Laws.

     The MBCA permits a Michigan corporation to include in its articles  of
incorporation a provision that a director is not personally liable  to  the
corporation  or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach  of  the
director's  fiduciary  duty  of  care  under  certain  circumstances.   The
Company's  Restated  Articles provide that the personal  liability  of  the
Company's  directors to the Company and its stockholders shall  be  limited
and eliminated to the full extent authorized or permitted under the MBCA as
from  time  to time in effect, thus automatically incorporating any  future
revisions  of  the  MBCA  with respect to director  liability  without  the
necessity of any further action by the Company's stockholders.

     In  general, the MBCA allows a corporation to indemnify its  directors
and officers if the director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner
such  person  reasonably  believed to be in or  not  opposed  to  the  best
interests  of  the  Company or its shareholders and  with  respect  to  any
criminal action or proceeding, had no reason to believe his or her  conduct
was  unlawful.  The Company's By-Laws provide for the Company to indemnify,
to the full extent authorized by law, any person who is made, or threatened
to be made, a party in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
proceeding  by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director  or
officer of the Company or served another corporation at the request of  the
Company.  Such indemnification could include liabilities arising under  the
Securities Act.

     The  Company  has a directors and officers liability insurance  policy
designed  to  reimburse  the Company, subject to  certain  exclusions,  for
payments  made pursuant to the indemnification provisions set forth  above.
After  certain deductibles, such policy covers up to $75,000,000 of  losses
in any year.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed
_______  ___________________________________

          Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits
_______  ________

4.  Instruments defining the rights of security holders.

             (i)   Restated Articles of Incorporation of  Stryker  and
     amendment  thereto  dated December 28,  1993  -  incorporated  by
     reference to Exhibit No. 3(i) to Stryker's Annual Report on  Form
     10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993.
     
           (ii)   By-Laws - incorporated by reference to  Exhibit  No.
     3(ii)  to Stryker's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
     ended June 30, 1988.
     
5.  Opinion re legality.

            Opinion  of  Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan, including  the
     consent of such counsel.
     
23.  Consents of experts and counsel.

           (i)  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

          (ii)   The  consent  of Whitman Breed  Abbott  &  Morgan  is
     contained  in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5 of this Registration
     Statement.
     
24.  Powers of Attorney.

          Included in Part II of this Registration Statement

99.  Additional Exhibits.

          (i)   1998  Stock  Option  Plan - incorporated  by  reference  to
     Exhibit  No. 10(i) to Stryker's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for  the
     quarter ended March 31, 1998.
     

Item 9.  Undertakings
_______  ____________

          Stryker hereby undertakes:

     (1)   To  file, during any period in which offers or sales  are  being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

          (i)   to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
     of the Securities Act of 1933;
     
          (ii)   to  reflect  in the prospectus any  facts  or  events
     arising  after the effective date of this Registration  Statement
     (or  the  most  recent post-effective amendment  thereof)  which,
     individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental  change
     in the information set forth in this Registration Statement;
     
          (iii)   to include any material information with respect  to
     the  plan  of  distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in  this
     Registration Statement or any material change to such information
     in this Registration Statement;
     
provided,  however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall not  apply  if
the  information required to be included in a post-effective  amendment  by
those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by Stryker pursuant
to  Section  13  or  15(d)  of the Exchange Act that  are  incorporated  by
reference in this Registration Statement.

     (2)   That,  for  the purpose of determining any liability  under  the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be  deemed
to  be  a  new  registration statement relating to the  securities  offered
therein,  and the offering of such securities at that time shall be  deemed
to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)   To  remove  from  registration  by  means  of  a  post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

     Stryker  hereby  undertakes  that, for  purposes  of  determining  any
liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of Stryker's Annual
Report  pursuant  to  Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange  Act  that  is
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and  the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     Insofar   as  indemnification  for  liabilities  arising   under   the
Securities  Act  of  1933  may  be permitted  to  directors,  officers  and
controlling  persons  of  Stryker, Stryker has been  advised  that  in  the
opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy  as
expressed  in  the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In  the  event  that a claim for indemnification against  such  liabilities
(other  than  the  payment by Stryker of expenses incurred  or  paid  by  a
director,  officer  or  controlling person of  Stryker  in  the  successful
defense  of  any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such  director,
officer  or  controlling  person in connection with  the  securities  being
registered, Stryker will, unless in the opinion of its counsel  the  matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction  the question whether such indemnification by  it  is  against
public  policy  as  expressed in the Securities Act of  1933  and  will  be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

     
     
                                SIGNATURES
                                     
     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant,  Stryker Corporation, certifies that it has reasonable  grounds
to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and
has  duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf  by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Kalamazoo, State
of Michigan, on April 28, 1999.

                                   STRYKER CORPORATION

                                   By:  /s/JOHN W. BROWN
                                        ________________________________
                                        John W. Brown,
                                        Chairman of the Board, President
                                        and Chief Executive Officer
                                        
                                        
                             POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                     
                                     
     KNOW  ALL  MEN  BY  THESE  PRESENTS that each person  whose  signature
appears  below hereby constitutes and appoints John W. Brown and  David  J.
Simpson,   and   each  of  them,  with  full  power  of  substitution   and
resubstitution,  as  attorneys or attorney to sign any and  all  amendments
(including  post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement,  and
to  file  with  the Securities and Exchange Commission the same,  with  all
exhibits  thereto, and any and all applications or other  documents  to  be
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pertaining thereto,  with
full  power  and  authority to do and perform any and all acts  and  things
whatsoever required and necessary to be done in the premises, as  fully  to
all intents and purposes as the undersigned could do if personally present,
hereby  ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys, and any  of  them
and  any  such  substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done  by  virtue
hereof.

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has been signed by the following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on April 28, 1999.

     Signature                          Title
     _________                          _____

/s/ JOHN W. BROWN                   Chairman of the Board, President
______________________________       and Chief Executive Officer
John W. Brown                        (Principal Executive Officer)
                                    
/s/ DAVID J. SIMPSON                Vice President, Chief Financial
______________________________       Officer and Secretary (Principal
David J. Simpson                     Financial Officer)
                                    
/s/ DEAN H. BERGY                   Vice President, Finance (Principal
______________________________       Accounting Officer)
Dean H. Bergy                       

/s/ HOWARD E. COX, JR.              Director
______________________________
Howard E. Cox, Jr.

/s/ DONALD M. ENGELMAN              Director
______________________________
Donald M. Engelman

/s/ JEROME H. GROSSMAN              Director
______________________________
Jerome H. Grossman

/s/ JOHN S. LILLARD                 Director
______________________________
John S. Lillard

/s/ WILLIAM U. PARFET               Director
______________________________
William U. Parfet

/s/ RONDA E. STRYKER                Director
______________________________
Ronda E. Stryker
                                     
                                     
                                     
                               EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit
Number
________


4.   Instruments defining the rights of security holders.

                   (i)   Restated  Articles of Incorporation  and
          amendment   thereto   dated   December   28,   1993   -
          incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  No.  3(i)  to
          Stryker's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
          December 31, 1993.
          
                (ii)    By-Laws  - incorporated by  reference  to
          Exhibit No. 3(ii) to Stryker's Quarterly Report on Form
          10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1988.
          
5.   Opinion re legality.

          Opinion  of Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan including  consent
     of such counsel.
     
23.  Consents of experts and counsel.

               (i) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
          
              (ii)  The consent of Whitman Breed Abbott &  Morgan
          is  contained in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5 to this
          Registration Statement.
          
24.  Powers of Attorney.

          Included in Part II of this Registration Statement

99.  Additional Exhibits.

              (i)   1998  Stock  Option Plan  -  incorporated  by
          reference  to Exhibit No. 10(i) to Stryker's  Quarterly
          Report  on  Form 10-Q for the quarter ended  March  31,
          1998.
          
          
              
                                                            
                                                            Exhibit 5
                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   May 5, 1999

Stryker Corporation
P.O. Box 4085
Kalamazoo, Michigan  49003-4085

Dear Sirs:

     We refer to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), to be filed by Stryker Corporation, a Michigan corporation (the
"Company"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission").
The Registration Statement covers 10,000,000 shares (the "Shares") of the
Company's Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, to be issued and sold by
the Company upon the exercise of options granted pursuant to the Company's
1998 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan").
     We have examined the originals or certified photostatic or facsimile
copies of such records and other documents as we have deemed relevant and
necessary as the basis for the opinion set forth below.  In such
examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons,
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted
to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents
submitted to us as certified, photostatic or facsimile copies and the
authenticity of the originals of such copies.
     Based upon our examination mentioned above, subject to the assumption
and qualifications stated and relying on statements of fact contained in
the documents that we have examined, we are of the opinion that, upon
issuance of the Shares in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, the
Shares will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and
nonassessable.
     We consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the
Registration Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we
are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section
7 of the Securities Act or the General Rules and Regulations of the
Commission.
                              Very truly yours,
                              /s/ WHITMAN BREED ABBOTT & MORGAN
              


               Exhibit 23 - Consent of Independent Auditors

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement
on Form S-8 pertaining to the 1998 Stock Option Plan of Stryker Corporation
of our reports dated February 9, 1999, with respect to the consolidated
financial statements of Stryker Corporation and subsidiaries incorporated
by reference in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December
31, 1998 and the related financial statement schedule included therein,
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                   /s/ Ernst & Young LLP


Kalamazoo, Michigan
May 7, 1999
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_________________________________________________________________________

                                     
                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C.  20549
                             ________________
                                     
                                 Form S-8
                                     
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   Under
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                              _______________
                                     
                                     
                            STRYKER CORPORATION
          (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                                     
                                     
              Michigan                           38-1239739
   (State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer
    incorporation or organization           Identification No.)
                                                      
 P.O. Box 4085, Kalamazoo, Michigan              49003-4085
   (Address of principal executive               (Zip Code)
              offices)
                                     
                                     
                          1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                                     
                         (Full title of the Plan)
                                     
                              _______________
                                     
                             DAVID J. SIMPSON
           Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
                                     
                            Stryker Corporation
              P.O. Box 4085, Kalamazoo, Michigan  49003-4085
                  (Name and address of agent for service)
                                     
                              (616) 385-2600
       (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
                              _______________
                                     
                                     
                                     
                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                                     
                                                                   
   Title of       Amount       Proposed        Proposed        Amount of
Securities to     to be         Maximum         Maximum      Registration
be registered   Registered  Offering Price     Aggregate          Fee
                               Per Share    Offering Price
                                  (1)             (1)
                                                                   
Common Stock,                                                      
par value $.10  10,000,000      $60.125      $601,250,000      $167,148
  per share       shares

(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee based
     upon the average high and low price of the Common Stock on May 6, 1999 as
     reported on the New York Stock Exchange-Composite Transactions.

                                  Part II

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference
_______  _______________________________________

     The  following  documents, descriptions, amendments and reports  filed
with  the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by  Stryker
Corporation ("Stryker" or the "Company") are incorporated by reference into
this Registration Statement:

          (a)   Stryker's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for  the  year  ended
     December 31, 1998;
     
          (b)   All other reports filed by Stryker pursuant to Section
     13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
     (the "Exchange Act"), since December 31, 1998; and
     
          (c)   The  description of the Stryker Common Stock contained
     in  the  Registration  Statement  on  Form  8-A  filed  with  the
     Commission  under the Exchange Act on July 1,  1997  and  in  any
     amendment or report filed by Stryker for the purpose of  updating
     such description.
     
     All  documents  subsequently  filed by Stryker  pursuant  to  Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing  of  a
post-effective  amendment  that  indicates  that  all  securities   offered
pursuant  hereto  have been sold or that deregisters  all  securities  then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference  in  this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of  filing  of
such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities
_______  _________________________

          Not Applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
_______  ______________________________________

          Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
_______  _________________________________________

     The following is a brief summary of certain indemnification provisions
of  the  Michigan Business Corporation Act (the "MBCA") and  the  Company's
Restated  Articles of Incorporation (the "Restated Articles") and  By-Laws.
The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions  of
MBCA, the Restated Articles and the By-Laws.

     The MBCA permits a Michigan corporation to include in its articles  of
incorporation a provision that a director is not personally liable  to  the
corporation  or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach  of  the
director's  fiduciary  duty  of  care  under  certain  circumstances.   The
Company's  Restated  Articles provide that the personal  liability  of  the
Company's  directors to the Company and its stockholders shall  be  limited
and eliminated to the full extent authorized or permitted under the MBCA as
from  time  to time in effect, thus automatically incorporating any  future
revisions  of  the  MBCA  with respect to director  liability  without  the
necessity of any further action by the Company's stockholders.

     In  general, the MBCA allows a corporation to indemnify its  directors
and officers if the director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner
such  person  reasonably  believed to be in or  not  opposed  to  the  best
interests  of  the  Company or its shareholders and  with  respect  to  any
criminal action or proceeding, had no reason to believe his or her  conduct
was  unlawful.  The Company's By-Laws provide for the Company to indemnify,
to the full extent authorized by law, any person who is made, or threatened
to be made, a party in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
proceeding  by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director  or
officer of the Company or served another corporation at the request of  the
Company.  Such indemnification could include liabilities arising under  the
Securities Act.

     The  Company  has a directors and officers liability insurance  policy
designed  to  reimburse  the Company, subject to  certain  exclusions,  for
payments  made pursuant to the indemnification provisions set forth  above.
After  certain deductibles, such policy covers up to $75,000,000 of  losses
in any year.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed
_______  ___________________________________

          Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits
_______  ________

4.  Instruments defining the rights of security holders.

             (i)   Restated Articles of Incorporation of  Stryker  and
     amendment  thereto  dated December 28,  1993  -  incorporated  by
     reference to Exhibit No. 3(i) to Stryker's Annual Report on  Form
     10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993.
     
           (ii)   By-Laws - incorporated by reference to  Exhibit  No.
     3(ii)  to Stryker's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
     ended June 30, 1988.
     
5.  Opinion re legality.

            Opinion  of  Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan, including  the
     consent of such counsel.
     
23.  Consents of experts and counsel.

           (i)  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

          (ii)   The  consent  of Whitman Breed  Abbott  &  Morgan  is
     contained  in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5 of this Registration
     Statement.
     
24.  Powers of Attorney.

          Included in Part II of this Registration Statement

99.  Additional Exhibits.

          (i)   1998  Stock  Option  Plan - incorporated  by  reference  to
     Exhibit  No. 10(i) to Stryker's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for  the
     quarter ended March 31, 1998.
     

Item 9.  Undertakings
_______  ____________

          Stryker hereby undertakes:

     (1)   To  file, during any period in which offers or sales  are  being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

          (i)   to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
     of the Securities Act of 1933;
     
          (ii)   to  reflect  in the prospectus any  facts  or  events
     arising  after the effective date of this Registration  Statement
     (or  the  most  recent post-effective amendment  thereof)  which,
     individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental  change
     in the information set forth in this Registration Statement;
     
          (iii)   to include any material information with respect  to
     the  plan  of  distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in  this
     Registration Statement or any material change to such information
     in this Registration Statement;
     
provided,  however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall not  apply  if
the  information required to be included in a post-effective  amendment  by
those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by Stryker pursuant
to  Section  13  or  15(d)  of the Exchange Act that  are  incorporated  by
reference in this Registration Statement.

     (2)   That,  for  the purpose of determining any liability  under  the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be  deemed
to  be  a  new  registration statement relating to the  securities  offered
therein,  and the offering of such securities at that time shall be  deemed
to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)   To  remove  from  registration  by  means  of  a  post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

     Stryker  hereby  undertakes  that, for  purposes  of  determining  any
liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of Stryker's Annual
Report  pursuant  to  Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange  Act  that  is
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and  the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     Insofar   as  indemnification  for  liabilities  arising   under   the
Securities  Act  of  1933  may  be permitted  to  directors,  officers  and
controlling  persons  of  Stryker, Stryker has been  advised  that  in  the
opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy  as
expressed  in  the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In  the  event  that a claim for indemnification against  such  liabilities
(other  than  the  payment by Stryker of expenses incurred  or  paid  by  a
director,  officer  or  controlling person of  Stryker  in  the  successful
defense  of  any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such  director,
officer  or  controlling  person in connection with  the  securities  being
registered, Stryker will, unless in the opinion of its counsel  the  matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction  the question whether such indemnification by  it  is  against
public  policy  as  expressed in the Securities Act of  1933  and  will  be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

     
     
                                SIGNATURES
                                     
     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant,  Stryker Corporation, certifies that it has reasonable  grounds
to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and
has  duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf  by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Kalamazoo, State
of Michigan, on April 28, 1999.

                                   STRYKER CORPORATION

                                   By:  /s/JOHN W. BROWN
                                        ________________________________
                                        John W. Brown,
                                        Chairman of the Board, President
                                        and Chief Executive Officer
                                        
                                        
                             POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                     
                                     
     KNOW  ALL  MEN  BY  THESE  PRESENTS that each person  whose  signature
appears  below hereby constitutes and appoints John W. Brown and  David  J.
Simpson,   and   each  of  them,  with  full  power  of  substitution   and
resubstitution,  as  attorneys or attorney to sign any and  all  amendments
(including  post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement,  and
to  file  with  the Securities and Exchange Commission the same,  with  all
exhibits  thereto, and any and all applications or other  documents  to  be
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pertaining thereto,  with
full  power  and  authority to do and perform any and all acts  and  things
whatsoever required and necessary to be done in the premises, as  fully  to
all intents and purposes as the undersigned could do if personally present,
hereby  ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys, and any  of  them
and  any  such  substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done  by  virtue
hereof.

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has been signed by the following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on April 28, 1999.

     Signature                          Title
     _________                          _____

/s/ JOHN W. BROWN                   Chairman of the Board, President
______________________________       and Chief Executive Officer
John W. Brown                        (Principal Executive Officer)
                                    
/s/ DAVID J. SIMPSON                Vice President, Chief Financial
______________________________       Officer and Secretary (Principal
David J. Simpson                     Financial Officer)
                                    
/s/ DEAN H. BERGY                   Vice President, Finance (Principal
______________________________       Accounting Officer)
Dean H. Bergy                       

/s/ HOWARD E. COX, JR.              Director
______________________________
Howard E. Cox, Jr.

/s/ DONALD M. ENGELMAN              Director
______________________________
Donald M. Engelman

/s/ JEROME H. GROSSMAN              Director
______________________________
Jerome H. Grossman

/s/ JOHN S. LILLARD                 Director
______________________________
John S. Lillard

/s/ WILLIAM U. PARFET               Director
______________________________
William U. Parfet

/s/ RONDA E. STRYKER                Director
______________________________
Ronda E. Stryker
                                     
                                     
                                     
                               EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number
________

4.   Instruments defining the rights of security holders.

                   (i)   Restated  Articles of Incorporation  and
          amendment   thereto   dated   December   28,   1993   -
          incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  No.  3(i)  to
          Stryker's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
          December 31, 1993.
          
                (ii)    By-Laws  - incorporated by  reference  to
          Exhibit No. 3(ii) to Stryker's Quarterly Report on Form
          10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1988.
          
5.   Opinion re legality.

          Opinion  of Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan including  consent
     of such counsel.
     
23.  Consents of experts and counsel.

               (i) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.
          
              (ii)  The consent of Whitman Breed Abbott &  Morgan
          is  contained in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5 to this
          Registration Statement.
          
24.  Powers of Attorney.

          Included in Part II of this Registration Statement

99.  Additional Exhibits.

              (i)   1998  Stock  Option Plan  -  incorporated  by
          reference  to Exhibit No. 10(i) to Stryker's  Quarterly
          Report  on  Form 10-Q for the quarter ended  March  31,
          1998.
          
          
              
                                                            
                                                            Exhibit 5
                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   May 5, 1999

Stryker Corporation
P.O. Box 4085
Kalamazoo, Michigan  49003-4085

Dear Sirs:

     We refer to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), to be filed by Stryker Corporation, a Michigan corporation (the
"Company"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission").
The Registration Statement covers 10,000,000 shares (the "Shares") of the
Company's Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, to be issued and sold by
the Company upon the exercise of options granted pursuant to the Company's
1998 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan").
     We have examined the originals or certified photostatic or facsimile
copies of such records and other documents as we have deemed relevant and
necessary as the basis for the opinion set forth below.  In such
examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons,
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted
to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents
submitted to us as certified, photostatic or facsimile copies and the
authenticity of the originals of such copies.
     Based upon our examination mentioned above, subject to the assumption
and qualifications stated and relying on statements of fact contained in
the documents that we have examined, we are of the opinion that, upon
issuance of the Shares in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, the
Shares will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and
nonassessable.
     We consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the
Registration Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we
are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section
7 of the Securities Act or the General Rules and Regulations of the
Commission.
                              Very truly yours,
                              /s/ WHITMAN BREED ABBOTT & MORGAN
              

               Exhibit 23 - Consent of Independent Auditors

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement
on Form S-8 pertaining to the 1998 Stock Option Plan of Stryker Corporation
of our reports dated February 9, 1999, with respect to the consolidated
financial statements of Stryker Corporation and subsidiaries incorporated
by reference in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December
31, 1998 and the related financial statement schedule included therein,
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                   /s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Kalamazoo, Michigan
May 7, 1999