A bone plate system for use in an “open door” laminoplasty procedure, including a bone plate, a first fixation element, and at least one second fixation element. The bone plate is elongated and has a generally curved shape such that the plate has an associated radius of curvature. The plate is sized and dimensioned to span a gap between a pair of bony segments, for example a pair of bony segments constituting a divided lamina. The first and second fixation elements are each configured to securely attach the bone plate to the bony segments. The bone plate has a first end including a generally U-shaped slot extending therein such that the open end of the slot comprises a first terminal end of the plate.