Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  Spangler Jonathan
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
12/17/2004		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NUVASIVE INC [NUVA]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
10065 OLD GROVE ROAD		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
VP & Chief Patent Counsel
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

SAN DIEGO, CA 92131		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock 26,984
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy) 09/26/2002(1) 09/26/2011 Common Stock 15,833 $ 0.63 D  
Stock Option (Right to Buy) 01/16/2003(1) 01/16/2012 Common Stock 19,949 $ 0.63 D  
Stock Option (Right to Buy) 01/15/2004(1) 01/15/2013 Common Stock 10,000 $ 0.63 D  
Stock Option (Right to Buy) 01/02/2005(1) 01/02/2014 Common Stock 12,000 $ 3.75 D  
Stock Option (Right to Buy)   (2) 10/19/2014 Common Stock 15,000 $ 9.5 D  
Stock Option (Right to Buy)   (3) 12/16/2014 Common Stock 25,000 $ 9.5 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Spangler Jonathan
10065 OLD GROVE ROAD
SAN DIEGO, CA 92131		       VP & Chief Patent Counsel  

Signatures

/s/ Jonathan Spangler 12/21/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) The option is immediately exercisable, but shares purchased under such option are subject to repurchase by the Issuer at the option exercise price, upon the Reporting Person's termination of service to the Issuer prior to vesting in these shares. 25% of the option shares vest on such date with the remaining option shares vesting in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.
(2) This option vests and become execisable with respect to 25% of the total number of underlying shares on the first anniversary of the grant date (10/20/04) with the remaining option shares vesting in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.
(3) This option vests and become execisable with respect to 25% of the total number of underlying shares on the first anniversary of the grant date (12/17/04) with the remaining option shares vesting in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.

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