Abstract: A device for compressing two or more adjacent bones includes a male plate attachable to a first one bones and having a central protrusion extending away from the male plate along a longitudinal axis, a female plate attachable to a second one of the bones and having a channel substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and adapted to conformally receive the central protrusion when the plates are aligned, and a locking mechanism configured to: hold the male plate and the female plate together when the plates are aligned; allow the male plate and the female plate to move with respect to each other under compression along the longitudinal axis when the protrusion is engaged with the channel; and prevent movement of the male plate with respect to the female plate when a desired, measurable amount of force is applied to the first bone with respect to the second bone.