A biocompatible fastener that may be used for attachment of a fixation plate to bone is described herein, where the fastener has features that facilitate its deployment in a surgical environment. The fastener is composed of a screw, having a threaded shaft and slotted head, and a detachable body that is used for deploying the screw and is then broken away and discarded. The slot in the head of the screw has stress concentrating notch features that direct the fracture lines into the screw head upon detachment of the secondary body, thus ensuring that the screw head surface remains smooth after deployment. A suitable driver for applying the fastener is also described.