The present invention includes a bone fixation plate assembly comprising a bone plate and a plate compression device for internal fixation of bone and tissue. The bone plate includes a top surface and a bottom bone-facing surface, one or more fastener holes extending between the top surface and the bottom bone-facing surface for fasteners, and one or more suture cleats extending from at least a portion of a boundary of the bone plate and configured to have one or more sutures passed therethrough. In one embodiment, the bone plate has a suture cleat configured to be elevated above the bottom bone-facing surface of the bone plate by a distance of between about 1-5 mm for providing suturing clearance for a suturing instrument, for example.
