Minocycline in Acute Spinal Cord Injury (MASC)

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 16 or over * Acute traumatic non-penetrating cervical SCI involving neurological levels as defined by the ASIA neurological examination between C0 and C8 and resulting in a detectable change in the ASIA motor assessment * Patient English speaking and able to provide informed consent * Randomization and administration of first dose (drug or placebo) within 12 hours of injury. Exclusion Criteria: * History of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) * Pre-existing hepatic or renal disease * Tetracycline hypersensitivity * Pregnancy or breast feeding * Isolated radicular motor deficit * Significant leucopenia (white blood cell count \< 1⁄2 times the lower limit of normal) at screening * Elevated liver function tests (AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, or total bilirubin \> 2 times the upper limit of normal) at screening * Presence of systemic disease that might interfere with patient safety, compliance or evaluation of the condition under study (e.g. insulin-dependent diabetes, Lyme disease, clinically significant cardiac disease, HIV, HTLV-1) * Associated traumatic conditions interfering with informed consent or outcome assessment (e.g. closed head injury, liver contusion) * Known uncorrected severe coronary artery disease or evidence of active coronary ischemia (ECG changes, positive Troponin) will be excluded, as they may not tolerate the standardized protocol for hemodynamic management