A bone repair system and method for percutaneously fixing a first bone segment to a second bone segment, such as rib bone segments, in a body of a patient include drilling a first hole through the first bone segment and a second hole through the second bone segment, and feeding a first tether through the first hole and a second tether through the second hole, each tether having a proximal end and a distal end. The first and second tether distal ends are withdrawn from the body while the first and second tether proximal ends have not passed through the first and second bone segments, respectively. A reinforcing member, such as a bone plate, having first and second openings, is passed onto the first and second tether distal ends, and the reinforcing member is pulled into engagement with the first and second bone segments guided by the tethers. The reinforcing member is secured to the first bone segment with a first fastener assembly through the first hole and the first opening and to the second bone segment with a second fastener assembly through the second hole and the second opening to fix the first bone segment to the second bone segment.