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 *   Link Matthew 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 01/01/2013 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NUVASIVE INC [NUVA] (Last) (First) (Middle) 7475 LUSK BLVD 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Exec. VP U.S. Sales 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) SAN DIEGO, CA 92121 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 8,161 (1) D   Common Stock 187 (2) D   Common Stock 62 (3) D   Common Stock 2,500 (4) D   Common Stock 9,375 (5) D   Common Stock 12,500 (6) D   Common Stock 5,000 (7) D Â

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)	01/02/2009(8)	01/02/2018	Common Stock	7,500	$ 38.78	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right-to-Buy)	01/02/2010(9)	01/02/2019	Common Stock	500	$ 34.82	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right-to-Buy)	04/01/2011(10)	04/01/2020	Common Stock	12,500	$ 44.2	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (Right-to-Buy)	01/03/2012(11)	01/03/2021	Common Stock	12,500	$ 26.62	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Link Matthew 7475 LUSK BLVD SAN DIEGO, CA 92121	Â	Â	  Exec. VP U.S. Sales	Â

Signatures

Jason M. Hannon, Attorney-In-Fact for Matthew Link		01/04/2013
**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)	Shares acquired by the Reporting Person under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan from April 30, 2008 through April 30, 2012 and vested shares resulting from Restricted Stock Unit awards from January 1, 2010 through July 1, 2012.
(2)	Represents the unvested balance of an award of Restricted Stock Units that began vesting in 4 equal annual installments beginning on January 2, 2010.
(3)	Represents the unvested balance of an award of Restricted Stock Units that began vesting in 4 equal annual installments beginning on July 1, 2010.
(4)	Represents the unvested balance of an award of Restricted Stock Units that began vesting in 4 equal annual installments beginning on April 1, 2011.
(5)	Represents the unvested balance of an award of Restricted Stock Units that began vesting in 4 equal annual installments beginning on January 1, 2012.
(6)	Represents an award of Restricted Stock Units that vests in 4 equal annual installments beginning on January 1, 2013.
(7)	Represents an award of Restricted Stock Units that vests in 4 equal annual installments beginning on October 1, 2013.
(8)	25% of the total shares subject to the option vested on January 2, 2009, the first anniversary of the date of grant; the remaining shares continued to vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.
(9)	25% of the total shares subject to the option vested on January 2, 2010, the first anniversary of the date of grant; the remaining shares continue to vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.
(10)	25% of the total shares subject to the option vested on April 1, 2011, the first anniversary of the date of grant; the remaining shares continue to vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.
(11)	25% of the total shares subject to the option vested on January 3, 2012, the first anniversary of the date of grant; the remaining shares continue to vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.

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