The present technology provides methods of preventing or treating osteoarthritis (OA) and/or post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). In some embodiments, the methods provide administering aromatic-cationic peptides in effective amounts to treat or prevent cartilage degeneration and/or chondrocyte death such as that found in a subject suffering from, or predisposed to OA or PTOA. In some embodiments, the methods comprise administering to a subject suffering from, or at risk for OA or PTOA, an effective amount of an aromatic-cationic peptide to subjects in need thereof.
