The objective of this study was to identify the immediate effects of the short leg brace on the weight-bearing distribution of hemiplegic patients. The subjects of this study were 25 hemiplegic patients who had been hospitalized or had visited the Out-patient Department of the Rehabilitation Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, from November 1, 1996, through December 20, 1996. Changes in weight-bearing distribution with PLS on and off, were recorded using a limb load monitor. The data were analyzed by the Wilcoxon sign rank test. The findings were as follows: subjects bore more weight on the affected leg in the PLS off mode (42.74%) than in the on mode (40.08%). In conclusion, this study showed that a PLS did not have a positive effect on weight distribution of hemiplegic patients. Since the evaluation methods used in the study were limited, further research is needed with a broader and more objective approach, especially in regard to temporal and distance gait values.