John Long’s path to founding Ortheon began during his collegiate baseball career at Mississippi State University and the University of Pittsburgh, where he spent his years watching teammates undergo Tommy John surgery and navigate the uncertainty of returning to play following the procedure. Having earned his master's degree at the close of his college athletic career, John entered the orthopedic industry with DePuy Synthes, where he gained firsthand experience to surgical procedures, implant technology, and the clinical workflows surrounding patient care.

Experiencing the same problem from two distinct perspectives—first as an athlete and later from within the OR—gave John a unique understanding of the gap that exists after surgery. That perspective ultimately led him to envision a better way to bring objective data into recovery and return-to-play decisions.

That vision became Ortheon.