Orthopedic anchor assembly

A method of securing an orthopedic device to bone tissue, the method comprising:

• positioning an anchor through an aperture in an orthopedic device, the anchor having a plurality of arms separated by grooves, and each of the arms includes a slot formed on an inner surface of the arm;
• fastening the orthopedic device to bone tissue with the anchor, locking the anchor in the orthopedic device with a locking mechanism including a plurality of fingers corresponding to each of the arms,
• wherein the anchor includes one or more relief cuts disposed above a lowermost surface of the grooves,
• wherein each of the slots slidably receives one of the plurality of fingers during downward insertion of the locking mechanism through the anchor causing the plurality of arms to splay outwardly to thereby secure the anchor to the orthopedic device,
• wherein each of the plurality of fingers are tapered and configured to engage a tapered portion of each slot, and
• wherein the plurality of fingers linearly and non-rotatably slide in the slot during downward insertion of the locking mechanism.