FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN 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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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Skinner James J   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NUVASIVE INC [NUVA] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) VP,Strategic Sales Development (Last) (First) (Middle) 4545 TOWNE CENTRE COURT 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/17/2006 (Street) SAN DIEGO, CA 92121 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 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 Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock (1) 03/17/2006   M   1,000 A $ 3.75 1,000 D   Common Stock (1) 03/17/2006   S(2)   1,000 D $ 19.5 0 D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 3.75

03/17/2006

M

1,000

(3)

01/02/2014

Common Stock

1,000

$ 0

63,264

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Skinner James J 4545 TOWNE CENTRE COURT SAN DIEGO, CA 92121			VP,Strategic Sales Development

Signatures

/s/ Jason Hannon, Attorney-in-fact		03/20/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(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 shares sold were acquired contemporaneously upon the cashless exercise of a stock option at an exercise price of $3.75 per share.
(2)	The sale reported on this Form 4 was effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the Reporting Person on September 14, 2005.
(3)	This option is immediately exercisable, but shares purchased under this option are subject to repurchase by the Issuer at the option exercise price to the extent the Reporting Person has not vested in such shares as of the date of the Reporting Person's termination of service to the Issuer. 25% of the shares subject to this option vested on January 2, 2005, which was the first anniversary of the date of grant, and 2.0833% of the initial number of shares subject to the option vest each month thereafter.

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