Business Combinations unaudited pro forma (Details ) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 968,179	$ 854,673
Net income attributable to NuVasive, Inc.	$ 38,045	$ 11,675
Net income per share attributable to NuVasive, Inc.:
Basic	$ 0.76	$ 0.24
Diluted	$ 0.70	$ 0.22

Business acquisition pro forma earnings per share.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The pro forma basic net income per share for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(2)-(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65885119&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

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- Definition

The pro forma diluted net income per share for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The pro forma net Income or Loss for the period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The pro forma revenue for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of the period.

+ References

+ Details

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- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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