Abstract: Method and apparatus for clinically recording and comparing the stiffness of a body element in-vivo. The body element, preferably a long bone (14) is excited by a vibratory device (15) and various vibrational resonant nodes are detected. Display or numerical analysis enables a comparison of the peak frequency response or a cross-correlation of the frequency versus amplitude response, thereby providing a measure of the state of stiffness of the body element compared with a normal or contralateral limb. The apparatus is simple to apply and use, ensuring effective use of method and apparatus in the clinical environment.