An orthopedic bone plate system includes a bone plate for placement adjacent one or more vertebral bodies. The system further includes a locking element including a compression member and a fixation member, the compression member having an aperture and a deformable portion. Also included is a bone fastener having a bone engaging portion and a stem portion. The stem is slidably receivable within the aperture of the compression member while the locking member is receivable within an aperture of the bone plate. As the compression member is brought into proximity of a vertebral body along the longitudinal axis of the bone fastener, an increasing force is exerted against the fixation member and translated to the bone plate. The resultant force is translated back to the fixation member to the compression member which causes the deformable portion of the compression member to clamp the bone fastener relative to the bone plate.
