Final answer:
In elbow surgery, a surgeon typically cuts through the skin, subcutaneous tissue, deeper connective tissue, and potentially the muscular layer, as well as navigating around ligaments such as the ulnar collateral ligament.
Step-by-step explanation:
When surgery is performed on the elbow, several layers of tissue are cut through to access the area. Initially, the surgeon will cut through the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Beneath these, they will navigate through the deeper connective tissue, and may reach the muscular layer, depending on the type of surgery being performed. The surgeon will also have to carefully work around the various ligaments that are integral to the elbow's structure, such as the ulnar collateral ligament, which may be involved in certain surgeries like Tommy John surgery. Moreover, the bones, namely the humerus, radius, and ulna, and articulating cartilage are central to any surgical intervention in this region. Injuries such as a supracondylar fracture or intercondylar fracture of the humerus may also necessitate surgical repair, which involves cutting through the aforementioned layers to reach and fix the damaged bone.