<PAGE>

    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2001

                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
================================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                        ------------------------------

                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         -----------------------------

                         INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
            (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

         Delaware                                             95-3043318
(State or Other Jurisdiction of                           (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization)                         Identification Number)

                         -----------------------------

                             181 Technology Drive
                         Irvine, California 92618-2402
          (Address of Principal Executive Offices including Zip Code)

                         -----------------------------

                     THE 2000 EQUITY PARTICIPATION PLAN OF
                         INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.

                           (Full Title of the Plan)

                         -----------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
             <S>                                                          <C>
             Richard L. Harrison                                              Copy to:
Senior Vice President--Finance, Chief Financial                         Charles K. Ruck, Esq.
            Officer and Secretary                                          LATHAM & WATKINS
         INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.                         650 Town Center Drive, Twentieth Floor
             181 Technology Drive                                   Costa Mesa, California 92626
         Irvine, California 92618-2402                                       (714) 540-1235
               (949) 453-3200
</TABLE>
                         -----------------------------

         (Name and Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number,
                  Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                         -----------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION  FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Proposed         Proposed
                                                  Amount              Maximum          Maximum
                                                  to be               Offering         Aggregate        Amount of
                                              Registered (1)           Price           Offering       Registration
                                                                    Per Share (2)      Price (2)           Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                           <C>                   <C>               <C>             <C>
Common Stock, $.01 par value (3)               1,000,000                $3.74         $3,740,000          $935
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) Represents 1,000,000 shares issuable under the 2000 Equity Participation
    Plan.

(2) Estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee
    pursuant to Rule 457(h) and (c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
    (the "Securities Act"), and is based on (i) the per share weighted average
    exercise price ($3.94) of previously granted options under the 2000 Equity
    Participation Plan exercisable for 207,500 shares, plus (ii) the average of
    the high and low sales price of the Common Stock, as reported on the Nasdaq
    Stock Market on April 10, 2001 ($3.69) for the 792,500 shares issuable under
    the 2000 Equity Participation Plan.

(3) Each share of Common Stock being registered hereunder, if issued prior to
    the termination by the Company of its Rights Agreement, will include one
    Common Share Purchase Right.  Prior to the occurrence of certain events, the
    Common Share Purchase Rights will not be exercisable or evidenced separately
    from the Common Stock.

================================================================================

Proposed sale to take place as soon after the effective date of the Registration
                Statement as outstanding options are exercised.

<PAGE>

                                    PART I

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

        The information called for in Part I of the Form S-8 is not being filed
with or included in this Form S-8 (by incorporation by reference or otherwise)
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission").

                                    PART II

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
        ---------------------------------------

        The following documents filed by us with the Commission are incorporated
herein by reference:

        (a) The description of our Common Stock, par value $.01 per share,
            contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the
            Commission (Registration  No. 000-22958); and

        (b) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
            December 31, 2000 (Registration No. 000-22958).

        In addition, all documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act") after the date of this registration statement and prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration
statement and to be a part of it from the respective dates of filing such
documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration
statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities
        -------------------------

        Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
        --------------------------------------

        Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
        -----------------------------------------

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that, except to the extent
prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law, our directors are not
personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach
of fiduciary duty as our directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law,
our directors have a fiduciary duty to us that is not eliminated by this
provision of our certificate of incorporation and, in appropriate circumstances,
equitable remedies such as injunctive or other forms of nonmonetary relief will
remain available. In addition, each director will continue to be subject to
liability under the Delaware General Corporation Law for breach of the
director's duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, for acts or omissions
which are found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be not in good faith or
that involve intentional misconduct, or knowing violations of law, for actions
leading to improper personal benefit to the director, and for payment of
dividends or approval of stock repurchases or redemptions that are prohibited by
the Delaware General Corporation Law. This provision also does not affect the
directors' responsibilities under any other laws, such as the Federal securities
laws or state or Federal environmental laws.

                                       2
<PAGE>

        The Delaware General Corporation Law provides further that any
indemnification will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the
directors and officers may be entitled under a corporation's bylaws, any
agreement, a vote of stockholders or otherwise. Our certificate of incorporation
eliminates the personal liability of directors to the fullest extent permitted
by the Delaware General Corporation Law and provides that we may fully indemnify
any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any
threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that such
person is or was a director or officer of ours or is or was serving at our
request as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against expenses
(including attorney's fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the action,
suit or proceeding.

        We have entered into agreements to indemnify our directors and executive
officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in our bylaws. We
believe that these provisions and agreements are necessary to attract and retain
qualified directors and executive officers. Our bylaws also permit us to secure
insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee or other agent for any
liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether the Delaware
General Corporation Law would permit indemnification. We have liability
insurance for our officers and directors.

        The Company has in effect insurance policies covering all of its
directors and officers.

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed
        -----------------------------------

        Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits
        --------

        See Index to Exhibits on page 6.

Item 9. Undertakings
        ------------

        (a) The undersigned registrant 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, as amended (the "Securities Act");

                 (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
            after the effective date of the 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 the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
            any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
            total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which
            was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the
            estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of
            prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
            the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more
            than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set
            forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
            effective registration statement; and

                 (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 (a)(1)(i) and
          (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in
          a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained

                                       3
<PAGE>

          in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the
          registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act
          that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, 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.

      (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the 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.

      (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
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, the registrant 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 and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                       4
<PAGE>

                                  SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company
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 Irvine, State of California, on this 12th day of
April 2001.

                                 Interpore International, Inc., a Delaware
                                 corporation


                                               /s/  David C. Mercer
                                 By:__________________________________________
                                                    David C. Mercer
                                       Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        Each person whose signature appears below hereby authorizes and appoints
David C. Mercer and Richard L. Harrison as attorneys-in-fact and agents, each
acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to sign on his
behalf, individually and in the capacities stated below, and to file any and all
amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting to
said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to perform any other
act on behalf of the undersigned required to be done in the premises.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities as of
April 12, 2001.


Signature                          Title
---------                          -----

/s/ David C. Mercer
__________________________         Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
David C. Mercer                    Officer and Director


/s/ Joseph A. Mussey
__________________________         President, Chief Operating Officer and
Joseph A. Mussey                   Director


/s/ Richard L. Harrison
__________________________         Senior Vice President-Finance, Chief
Richard L. Harrison                Financial Officer and Secretry (Principal
                                   Financial and Accounting Officer)


/s/ David W. Chonette
__________________________         Director
David W. Chonette


/s/ William A. Eisenecher
__________________________         Director
William A. Eisenecher


/s/ Daniel A. Funk
__________________________         Director
Daniel A. Funk, M.D.


/s/ Robert J. Williams
__________________________         Director
Robert J. Williams

                                       5
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT                                                                                   PAGE
-------                                                                                   ----
<S>        <C>                                                                          <C>
4.1       Rights Agreement dated November 19, 1998 between Interpore                    (Note 1)
          International, Inc. and U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation.

5.1       Opinion of Latham & Watkins                                                       7

23.1      Consent of Latham & Watkins (included in Exhibit 5.1)                             7

23.2      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP                                                      9

24        Power of Attorney (included in the signature page to this Registration            5
          Statement).
</TABLE>
----------------------

(1)  Incorporated by reference from our Current Report on Form 8-K dated
     December 1, 1998.

                                       6
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "ds8.txt", "description": "INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC. FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 19179}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL INC /DE/", "cik": "0000854093", "assigned-sic": "3842", "irs-number": "953043318", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-58776", "film-number": "1601282"}, "business-address": {"street1": "181 TECHNOLOGY DR", "city": "IRVINE", "state": "CA", "zip": "92718", "phone": "9494533200"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "181 TECHNOLOGY DR", "city": "IRVINE", "state": "CA", "zip": "92718-"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL /CA/", "date-changed": "19920703"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2001

                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
================================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                        ------------------------------

                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         -----------------------------

                         INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
            (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

         Delaware                                             95-3043318
(State or Other Jurisdiction of                           (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization)                         Identification Number)

                         -----------------------------

                             181 Technology Drive
                         Irvine, California 92618-2402
          (Address of Principal Executive Offices including Zip Code)

                         -----------------------------

                     THE 2000 EQUITY PARTICIPATION PLAN OF
                         INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.

                           (Full Title of the Plan)

                         -----------------------------
Richard L. Harrison                                              Copy to:
Senior Vice President--Finance, Chief Financial                         Charles K. Ruck, Esq.
            Officer and Secretary                                          LATHAM & WATKINS
         INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.                         650 Town Center Drive, Twentieth Floor
             181 Technology Drive                                   Costa Mesa, California 92626
         Irvine, California 92618-2402                                       (714) 540-1235
               (949) 453-3200
-----------------------------

         (Name and Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number,
                  Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                         -----------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION  FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Proposed         Proposed
                                                  Amount              Maximum          Maximum
                                                  to be               Offering         Aggregate        Amount of
                                              Registered (1)           Price           Offering       Registration
                                                                    Per Share (2)      Price (2)           Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.01 par value (3)               1,000,000                $3.74         $3,740,000          $935
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Represents 1,000,000 shares issuable under the 2000 Equity Participation
    Plan.

(2) Estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee
    pursuant to Rule 457(h) and (c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
    (the "Securities Act"), and is based on (i) the per share weighted average
    exercise price ($3.94) of previously granted options under the 2000 Equity
    Participation Plan exercisable for 207,500 shares, plus (ii) the average of
    the high and low sales price of the Common Stock, as reported on the Nasdaq
    Stock Market on April 10, 2001 ($3.69) for the 792,500 shares issuable under
    the 2000 Equity Participation Plan.

(3) Each share of Common Stock being registered hereunder, if issued prior to
    the termination by the Company of its Rights Agreement, will include one
    Common Share Purchase Right.  Prior to the occurrence of certain events, the
    Common Share Purchase Rights will not be exercisable or evidenced separately
    from the Common Stock.

================================================================================

Proposed sale to take place as soon after the effective date of the Registration
                Statement as outstanding options are exercised.
PART I

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

        The information called for in Part I of the Form S-8 is not being filed
with or included in this Form S-8 (by incorporation by reference or otherwise)
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission").

                                    PART II

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
        ---------------------------------------

        The following documents filed by us with the Commission are incorporated
herein by reference:

        (a) The description of our Common Stock, par value $.01 per share,
            contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the
            Commission (Registration  No. 000-22958); and

        (b) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
            December 31, 2000 (Registration No. 000-22958).

        In addition, all documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act") after the date of this registration statement and prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration
statement and to be a part of it from the respective dates of filing such
documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration
statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities
        -------------------------

        Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
        --------------------------------------

        Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
        -----------------------------------------

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that, except to the extent
prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law, our directors are not
personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach
of fiduciary duty as our directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law,
our directors have a fiduciary duty to us that is not eliminated by this
provision of our certificate of incorporation and, in appropriate circumstances,
equitable remedies such as injunctive or other forms of nonmonetary relief will
remain available. In addition, each director will continue to be subject to
liability under the Delaware General Corporation Law for breach of the
director's duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, for acts or omissions
which are found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be not in good faith or
that involve intentional misconduct, or knowing violations of law, for actions
leading to improper personal benefit to the director, and for payment of
dividends or approval of stock repurchases or redemptions that are prohibited by
the Delaware General Corporation Law. This provision also does not affect the
directors' responsibilities under any other laws, such as the Federal securities
laws or state or Federal environmental laws.

                                       2
The Delaware General Corporation Law provides further that any
indemnification will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the
directors and officers may be entitled under a corporation's bylaws, any
agreement, a vote of stockholders or otherwise. Our certificate of incorporation
eliminates the personal liability of directors to the fullest extent permitted
by the Delaware General Corporation Law and provides that we may fully indemnify
any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any
threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that such
person is or was a director or officer of ours or is or was serving at our
request as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against expenses
(including attorney's fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the action,
suit or proceeding.

        We have entered into agreements to indemnify our directors and executive
officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in our bylaws. We
believe that these provisions and agreements are necessary to attract and retain
qualified directors and executive officers. Our bylaws also permit us to secure
insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee or other agent for any
liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether the Delaware
General Corporation Law would permit indemnification. We have liability
insurance for our officers and directors.

        The Company has in effect insurance policies covering all of its
directors and officers.

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed
        -----------------------------------

        Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits
        --------

        See Index to Exhibits on page 6.

Item 9. Undertakings
        ------------

        (a) The undersigned registrant 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, as amended (the "Securities Act");

                 (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
            after the effective date of the 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 the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
            any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
            total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which
            was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the
            estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of
            prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
            the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more
            than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set
            forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
            effective registration statement; and

                 (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 (a)(1)(i) and
          (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in
          a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained

                                       3
in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the
          registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act
          that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, 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.

      (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the 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.

      (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
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, the registrant 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 and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                       4
SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company
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 Irvine, State of California, on this 12th day of
April 2001.

                                 Interpore International, Inc., a Delaware
                                 corporation

                                               /s/  David C. Mercer
                                 By:__________________________________________
                                                    David C. Mercer
                                       Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        Each person whose signature appears below hereby authorizes and appoints
David C. Mercer and Richard L. Harrison as attorneys-in-fact and agents, each
acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to sign on his
behalf, individually and in the capacities stated below, and to file any and all
amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting to
said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to perform any other
act on behalf of the undersigned required to be done in the premises.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities as of
April 12, 2001.

Signature                          Title
---------                          -----

/s/ David C. Mercer
__________________________         Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
David C. Mercer                    Officer and Director

/s/ Joseph A. Mussey
__________________________         President, Chief Operating Officer and
Joseph A. Mussey                   Director

/s/ Richard L. Harrison
__________________________         Senior Vice President-Finance, Chief
Richard L. Harrison                Financial Officer and Secretry (Principal
                                   Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ David W. Chonette
__________________________         Director
David W. Chonette

/s/ William A. Eisenecher
__________________________         Director
William A. Eisenecher

/s/ Daniel A. Funk
__________________________         Director
Daniel A. Funk, M.D.

/s/ Robert J. Williams
__________________________         Director
Robert J. Williams

                                       5
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT                                                                                   PAGE
-------                                                                                   ----
4.1       Rights Agreement dated November 19, 1998 between Interpore                    (Note 1)
          International, Inc. and U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation.

5.1       Opinion of Latham & Watkins                                                       7

23.1      Consent of Latham & Watkins (included in Exhibit 5.1)                             7

23.2      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP                                                      9

24        Power of Attorney (included in the signature page to this Registration            5
          Statement).
----------------------

(1)  Incorporated by reference from our Current Report on Form 8-K dated
     December 1, 1998.

                                       6